He was the nephew of Pope Pius IV and was made a cardinal deacon, with the title of Saint Praxedes, at the age of twenty-one. He can be considered the first Cardinal Secretary of State in the modern sense of the role. At the same time, he was entrusted with the Archdiocese of Milan, with the privilege of administering it from Rome. He urged the pope to continue the Council of Trent, which had been interrupted.
At twenty-four, he was ordained a priest and consecrated bishop. Two years later, after the pope’s death, he moved permanently to his archdiocese, where, with great zeal and perseverance, he put the reforms of Trent into practice. In doing so, he often clashed with the Spanish governor and, at times, even faced misunderstanding from the Holy See itself.
He died in Milan on November 3, 1584, at only forty-six years of age. He was canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610. His feast has always been celebrated on November 4.
