Who he was
Marcello Cervini, son of a papal treasurer, studied at Siena and Rome and won respect for his purity of life and love of learning. Paul III made him papal secretary and adviser to the young Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, and created him a cardinal in 1539. He was one of the three presidents of the Council of Trent, where he firmly upheld the interests of the Church, and he later served as head of the Vatican Library, which he greatly enriched. He was elected in April 1555 and, like Adrian VI, kept his baptismal name.
What he is remembered for
A committed reformer, he set to work on the reform of the Church at once, but died after only twenty-two days, worn out by the ceremonies of Holy Week and Easter. Palestrina named his famous Missa Papae Marcelli in his honour.
Sources
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