Roman Catholic Cardinal and Saint. Licata born Giuseppe Maria Tomasi came from the princely family of Lampedusa, the son of the Duke of Palermo and Rosalia Traino, who would both enter religious life when their children reached their adulthood. Four of the future Cardinal's sisters became nuns, one of them being Suor Maria Crocifissa della Concezione, the renowned Beata Corbera of the Monastery of Palma di Montechiaro. Renouncing his inheritance and position, being the eldest child, in favour of his brother, Giuseppe joined the Order of the Clerics Regular Theatines on March 25, 1665, making his profession on March 25 of the following year. Undergoing studies in the Theatine houses of studies of Messina, Ferrara and Modena, he later furthered his studies in Rome and Palermo. Apart from philosophy and theology, he also studied Greek, Ethiopic, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic, Italian, Latin and Hebrew, and collected the titles of the Psalms. Besides, he studied the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers. Through his research in libraries, archives, and monuments, he was able to retrace the ancient ecclesiastical discipline and liturgy. Ordained priest on December 23, 1673 at the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica in Rome, he served as examiner of bishops and later, during the Pontificate of Pope Clement XI, to whom he served as confessor, as consultor of his Order, theologian of the Sacred Congregation of the Regular Discipline and of other congregations, consultor of the Sacred Congregation of Rites and Indulgences and Sacred Relics and qualificator of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition. When Clement XI was reluctant to accept the Papacy, Giuseppe advised him it would be a mortal sin to refuse. Later, he himself insistently declined the promotion to the cardinalate and had to be compelled by the Pope, who sought the help of Cardinal Tommaso Maria Ferrari OP., to make him accept. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of May 18, 1712, with the title of San Martino ai Monti, Tomasi was a prolific writer, whose works relate mainly theology, scripture, and patrology, published in eleven quarto volumes in 1753. Known and appreciated for his knowledge, humility, charity and zeal for reform, he was chastised by his authorities for being over scrupulous. The Cardinal died of natural causes on January 1, 1713, in his Roman residence next to the church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna, as he had predicted. His body was exposed in his title where the funeral took place on the morrow, followed by burial in that same church. In 1971, his incorrupt remains were transferred to the Theatine church of Sant'Andrea della Valle where they can be seen beneath a lateral altar. Beatified on June 5, 1803 by Pope Pius VII, Pope John Paul II canonized him on October 12, 1986. His liturgical feast is celebrated on January 3.