– Mother Maddalena’s family – the Bentivoglio’s of Bologna – were very active in Italian politics during earlier centuries. Students of Franciscan history might recall a Cardinal Bentivoglio who confronted Mary Ward over her teaching apostolate. [This is not the place to go into the history of this former Poor Clare, which is quite interesting. That will be saved for another study.] Father Albert Kleber recounts the history of Mother Maddalena’s distinguished relative:
A grandson of Giovanni, Costanzo, became the founder of the illustrious Ferrara  branch of the family. Of this line Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio descended. Cardinal Bentivoglio, highly cultured and an accomplished  diplomat, acquitted himself masterfully of many difficult missions with which both   popes and secular rulers had entrusted him. It was generally believed that he would be  the successor to Pope Urban VIII; but he  died during the conclave, in 1644.