Richard Palmer had been Bishop of Siracusa (1156?–December 1182). Pirro, pp. 621-624. Sidney Lee (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 43 (London: Macmillan 1895), pp. 146-148. Kamp, pp. 1013-1018.
A native of Parma, Francesco Fontana was elected by the Canons of the Cathedral before the death of Pope Honorius IV on 3 April 1287, and his election was therefore not confirmed. He was confirmed by Pope Nicholas IV on 23 April 1288. Fontana was expelled by the people of Messina. Pope Nicholas IV therefore made him Administrator of the diocese of Nola. In 1296 he was named Archbishop of Milan. Pirro, p. 408. Ernest Langlois, ed. (1886). Les Registres de Nicolas IV (1288-1292): recueil des bulles de ce pape (in Latin). Vol. fasc. 1. Paris: E. Thorin. p. 10, nos. 54–59. Eubel, I, p. 337 with note 5.
Natoli was born in Patti (Sicily) in 1799. He had previously been Bishop of Caltagirone (1858-1867). L'amico di famiglia (in Italian). Vol. 1. 1858. p. 40. Annuario pontificio (in Italian). Roma: Tipografia della Reverenda Camera Apostolica. 1860. p. 109.
D'Arrigo was born in Messina in 1849. He had been Capitular Vicar of Messina following the death of Cardinal Guarino. In 1908 a major earthquake in Messina destroyed the cathedral; d'Arrigo began its reconstruction. He received a Coadjutor, Angelo Paino, titular bishop of Antinoe, on 10 January 1921. The Catholic Encyclopedia: Supplement 1 (c1922). New York: Encyclopedia Press. 1922. p. 496. Luigi Mezzadri; Maurizio Tagliaferri; Elio Guerriero (2008). Le diocesi d'Italia (in Italian). Vol. 3. Cinisello Balsamo (Milano): San Paolo. p. 712. ISBN978-88-215-6172-6.
