Cardinal Lev von Skrbensky z Hriste (also spelt Skrebensky; born June 12, 1863, Hausdorf, Moravia, Austria-Hungary; died December 24, 1938, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia) was a prominent prelate in the Catholic Church during the early twentieth century. A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals, ranking below the Pope and appointed by him during a consistory of the College. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... town hall with astronomical clock Olomouc (German Olmütz, Polish Ołomuniec, Latin Eburum or Olomucium) is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. ...

Of uncertain but undoubtedly wealthy background (it is sometimes believed he was an illegitimate child of the Hapsburg Monarchy, Lev Skrbensky z Hriste was educated at the prestigious seminary of Olomouc and during the 1880s worked on a doctrate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University. After being ordained in 1889, he went into the Austro-Hungarian Army and spent the following decade serving as an army chaplain. Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ... Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion of churches. ...

His reputation as an army chaplain, along quite likely with diplomatic considerations by the Vatican, was such that Pope Leo XIII appointed him as Archbishop of Prague in 1899 upon leaving his military duties. Two years later he was made a cardinal at the tender age of thirty-seven. Since then no man has been elevated to the cardinalate at such a young age. The youngest in the past hundred years have been two Patriarchs of Lisbon: Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira elevated in 1929 at the age of 41 and António Ribeiro elevated in 1973 at the age of 44. Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Pope Pius IX (1846–78) on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his death in 1903. ... The Patriarch of Lisbon is one of the few western Patriarchs in the Roman Catholic Church, an honorary title without actual authority except for the Patriarch of Rome, as Pope. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Lisbon  - Subregion Grande Lisboa  - District or A.R. Lisbon Mayor Carmona Rodrigues  - Party PSD Area 84. ... Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira (1888-1977) was a Portuguese cardinal, who served as cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon, from 1929 to 1971. ... D. (Dom) António Ribeiro (May 21, 1928 - March 24, 1998) was a Portuguese clergyman, born in São Clemente, Celorico de Basto. ...

He participated in the 1903 and 1914 conclaves, and was transferred to the prestigious see of Olomounc in 1916, which, like his youthful elevation to the episcopate and cardinalate, led to further speculation of deals between the Vatican and the Hapsburg Empire. Although he began to have extremely chronic health problems soon after this, some historians have said his failure to participate in the 1922 conclave was due to the Vatican wanting to distance itself from the collapsed empire when it was actually due to his poor health - which caused him to stop undertaking the duties of Archbishop. The Papal conclave of 1903 was caused by the death of the 93 year old Pope Leo XIII, who at that stage was the third longest reigning pope in history. ... The Papal conclave of 1914 was held to choose a successor Pope Pius X, who had died in the Vatican on 20 August 1914. ... After a reign of just eight years, Pope Benedict XV died on 22 January 1922 of pneumonia. ...

Despite the fact that his health remained very poor, Skrbensky z Hriste almost lived long enough to see the 1939 conclave. He was the last living cardinal elevated by Pope Leo XIII, and as with the corresponding cardinal of Pius IX, Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano, he managed to outlive his nearest rival for this honour, Vincenzo Vannutelli, by a very long period (over eight years). Cardinal Pacelli, the Secretary of State, was elected pope. ... Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from his election in June 16, 1846, until his death more than 31 years later in 1878, making him the longest-reigning Pope since the Apostle St. ... Luigi Cardinal Oreglia di Santo Stefano (born July 9, 1828, Bene Vagienna, Italy; died December 7, 1913, Rome, Italy) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth century. ... Cardinal Vannutelli (sitting) and Mgr. ...