Summary of SOCG 424 on the case of Antonio Di Seravezza and Girolamo Da Sassari, 1670-11-10

Title

Summary of SOCG 424 on the case of Antonio Di Seravezza and Girolamo Da Sassari, 1670-11-10

Subject

Capuchins
Franciscans
Seravezza case
Tunis
Algiers
Tunis

Description

PF summary of SOCG 424. Because Gio' LeVacher [Jean Le Vacher] could no longer stay as vicar apostolic in Tunis, Girolamo Da Sassari was sent there as vicar prefect; this authority was later given to Antonio Da Serauezza. They did many good things in Tunis, but Da Sassari eventually had to leave Tunis for the same reason. Ships that arrived in the port of Tunis used to always give alms to the bagnos. The French consul [Jean Ambrozin] wanted to keep this money to himself, and if someone objected, he was forced by the consul to leave the city. When Da Sassari went to Rome, Antonio Di Seravezza stayed behind, but never wrote to PF. He did write to the French nuncio in which he called himself vicar apostolic of Carthage, despite never being appointed by PF. In this letter he wrote that the consul took the money of the chapels, and that the consulalso led a dishonest life; he made two vicar apostolics leave the city because they asked him about the money for the chapels. Its noted that the consul did many unworthy things against the faith and the crown, and were he not in Tunis, many souls would not have been lost. In Marseille he asked to restore the order, and to make the consul pay back the money by means of Antonio Croi (a Minor Observant). He stated that these scandals happened, as Colbert protected the consul. The Nuncio talked with Monsù di Lionnè and asked him to force the consul to work in a more honourable way. There are two things to do: a) it is obvious that Di Seravezza is not being honest; and b) though the soulution may seem obvious, it would be more difficult to let the most christian king do something about the consul. Without the missionaries it is also clear that there will be souls lost. There is another letter written by Da Sassari from Rome to Di Seravezza which is signed by the vicar and prefect of Tunis. He says that he received spiritual things from the court but nothing to support the mission, and therefore he does not want to return. He also says that PF wants the consul to return the money, and that the vicar apostolic of Algiers [Jean Le Vacher], who is also vicar apostolic in Tunis, does not intervene in this mission; also for this reason he does not seem suited for the mission. Di Seravezza wrote to the vicar apostolic of Tunis [Jean Le Vacher] informing him first of all the things that the consul had done, and secondly that he had sent two priests of his order to Tunis, where he also wanted to go himself. He stated that he did not leave Tunis to leave the Christians there behind, but to instead inform the most christian king of the problems caused by the consul. He tells the vicar that he will take care of the churches of Tunis and Tripoli, and that the vicar should only take care of the church of Algiers; this has been decided by PF, and in another letter to PF he also asked for the patents. 
Date discussed: 1670-11-10
Additional comments
In the corresponding acta file (i.e. the copy) PF decides the following things: 1) the vicar apostolic [Jean Le Vacher] should be written to for more information about the consul; 2) the superior of the Minor Observants should call Antonio Di Seravezza back from the mission; and 3) the patents that Girolamo Da Sassari received should be revoked.

Creator

PF

Source

APF SOCG 424, 242r-243v

Date

1670-11-10

Relation

The same summary is found in APF ACTA 39, 201r-202v, (database item 669).

Format

Original

Language

Italian

Type

Summary

Identifier

748

Coverage

Origin: [Rome]
Destination: [Rome]

Citation

PF, “Summary of SOCG 424 on the case of Antonio Di Seravezza and Girolamo Da Sassari, 1670-11-10,” Early Modern Documents: Sources and Resources for Historical Research, accessed March 18, 2024, https://earlymoderndocs.omeka.net/items/show/13287.