Gregorio Barbarigo

Who they were

Gregorio Barbarigo was born in Venice in 1625, son of a senator; his mother died of plague when he was two. In 1643 he went with the Venetian ambassador to Münster for the peace talks that ended the Thirty Years' War, where he met Cardinal Fabio Chigi, the future Alexander VII. After studying at Padua he became a priest at thirty.

Alexander VII called him to Rome and put him in charge of care for plague victims, then made him bishop of Bergamo and, in 1658, cardinal. A shepherd in the mould of St Charles Borromeo, he later became bishop of Padua and worked, as adviser to Innocent XI, for reunion with the Eastern Churches. He died at Padua in 1697.

The miracles

John XXIII, from the Bergamo area, had signed appeals for his canonisation years before becoming Pope. The miracles examined are not described in the sources we have used.

Why that counted as sanctity

Gregorio was a bishop wholly for his people, caring for the plague-stricken, renewing his dioceses and working for the unity of the Church.

Connected on this site

• Charles Borromeo Saint
  “A shepherd in the mould of St Charles Borromeo, he later became bishop of Padua and worked, as adviser to Innocent XI, for reunion with the Eastern Churches.” — this site's research
• Innocent XI Blessed
  “A shepherd in the mould of St Charles Borromeo, he later became bishop of Padua and worked, as adviser to Innocent XI, for reunion with the Eastern Churches.” — this site's research