▁him ▁in ▁high ▁este em . ▁ ▁Ben ef atti ' s ▁reputation ▁for ▁personal ▁hol iness ▁end ured ▁in ▁the ▁centuries ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁and ▁the ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁his ▁local ▁' c ult us ' ▁- ▁or ▁popular ▁dev otion ▁- ▁allowed ▁for ▁Pope ▁P ius ▁IX ▁to ▁confirm ▁the ▁late ▁bishop ' s ▁beat ification ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁September ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁ ▁Life ▁Gia como ▁Ben ef atti ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mant ua ▁at ▁some ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 2 0 0 s ▁to ▁nobles . ▁ ▁He ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Pre ach ers ▁in ▁ 1 2 9 0 ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁ord ained ▁to ▁the ▁priest hood . ▁He ▁acquired ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁his ▁the ological ▁studies ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris ▁and ▁later ▁earned ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁the ological ▁studies . ▁Ben ef atti ▁became ▁a ▁close ▁and ▁personal ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁fellow ▁Domin ican ▁fri ar ▁Card inal ▁Nic col ò ▁B oc cas ini ▁who ▁later ▁asc ended ▁as ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XI . ▁The ▁new ▁pont iff ▁appointed ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁pap al ▁leg ate ▁and ▁then ▁appointed ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Mant ua ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 3 0 4 . ▁Ben ef atti ▁decided ▁to ▁raise ▁funds ▁for ▁ref urb ishing ▁churches ▁in ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁re building ▁the ▁Mant ua ▁C athedral . ▁As ▁a ▁bishop ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁coron ation