He was of noble birth, and intended by his parents for the legal profession. After their death, however, at the age of fourteen, he entered the mendicant
Order of Saint Augustine, at
Viterbo, where he studied Greek and Hebrew as well as philosophy and theology. After a short period in Rome, where he had been called by his
prior general, he was appointed lecturer at
Siena (1515), professor of theology at
Bologna (1517). In 1532 he became vicar-general of the order, a role he filled with great credit for two years. He won such a reputation for eloquence by his discourses in the principal cities of Italy, that the
Emperor Charles V often made it a point to be present at his sermons. Elected prior general in 1539, he governed for twelve years. The 1913
Catholic Encyclopedia describes him as displaying "singular prudence, zeal, and piety." In 1546, he attended the sessions of the
Council of Trent, where he distinguished himself by his zeal for the purity of biblical texts, and also by his views concerning
original sin and
justification that some council fathers felt were more in line with Lutheran opinions.
Pope Paul III sent him as
papal legate to the emperor and to the King of France, after which he was offered the
diocese of Aquila. Seripando not only declined this, but even resigned his position as prior general (1551), and withdrew to a small convent. In 1553 he was called from retirement to undertake a mission from the city of Naples to Charles V. Upon its completion he was appointed
Archbishop of Salerno. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes him as a "zealous and efficient pastor." In 1561
Pope Pius IV made Seripando a cardinal and appointed him the second
legate of the Holy See at the
Council of Trent. Upon the death of Cardinal
Ercole Gonzaga, he became the council's first president. ==Works==