Girolamo Ghinucci (additionally referred to historically as: Jerome de Ghinucci, Geronimo de Ghinucci, Hieronymus Ghinucci, and Girolamo Ginucci; 1480 in Siena – 3 July 1541) was an Italian papal administrator, diplomat and cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.
Life
Ghinucci was from a Sienese banking family and became a canon of the cathedral chapter there. He then became secretary to Pope Julius II. He was bishop of Ascoli Piceno from 1512 to 1518. He was an active participant in the Fifth Lateran Council.[1]
Pope Leo X named Ghinucci papal nuncio to England, where Henry VIII retained him for a period as advisor. Ghinucci advised on Henry's moves to divorce Catherine of Aragon.[2] Ghinucci's nephew, Augustine de Augustinis, served as personal physician to Cardinal Wolsey. Augustinis also performed some diplomatic and espionage services for the Cardinal. He later became physician-in-ordinary to Henry VIII.[3]
He held the bishopric until 1535 when he was deprived of the position by King Henry VIII; also deprived was the Bishop of Salisbury, Lorenzo Campeggio. In the same year he was made a Cardinal by Pope Paul III, and served on commissions to reform the Church.
He also served as Bishop Administrator of the Diocese of Malta from 1523 to 1538. He was Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from January 7, 1538, to January 10, 1539.[1]
Ghinucci died in Rome July 3, 1541, Rome and was buried in the basilica of San Clemente al Laterano,[1] where he was Cardinal protector from 25 January 1537 until his death. A prominent Latin inscription commemorating him is to be seen in the north aisle of the basilica (to the right of the entrance to the sacristy and excavations).
^Ghinucci's correspondence with Croke is quoted in Delaforce, Patrick; Baldry, Ken. "Chapter 22 - King Henry VIII's troubleshooter". The Delaforce Family History (2nd ed.).