Achille Silvestrini

Cardinal Achille Silvestrini ( born October 25, 1923 in Brisighella, Ravenna, Italy) is a retired cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Life

Achille Silvestrini studied in Bologna and Rome, the subjects of Catholic theology, philosophy and ancient languages ​​. He received his Ph.D. in Classical Philology, canon law and civil law. In 1946 he received the sacrament of Holy Orders and was admitted for further studies in 1953 in the diplomatic service of the Vatican, where he was employed in various departments. From 1958 to 1969 he was the personal secretary of the Vatican Secretariat of State. From 1969 he was a member of the Council for public questions and participated in several missions abroad Vatican embassies.

1979 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II, Titular Archbishop of Novaliciana and donated to him on 27 May 1979, the episcopal ordination; Co-consecrators were the then Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Archbishop Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, and the then prosecuted ex officio in the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Eduardo Martínez Somalo. In the same year Silvestrini became secretary of the Council for public questions of the Catholic Church. From 1979 to 1984 he headed the Vatican delegation for the revision of the Concordat with Italy. He has long been regarded as a possible successor to Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli and also as papabile.

1988 took him John Paul II as a cardinal deacon with the title Diakonia San Benedetto fuori Porta San Paolo in the College of Cardinals, and appointed him Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura.

In 1991 he became head of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and served as papal legate often and agents in various crisis regions. He was appointed while retaining its titular church of Cardinal Priest pro hac vice in 1999.

After he had provided in canon law resignation from all his positions in the Curia offered with the completion of his 75th year with the Pope, it was adopted by John Paul II on September 7, 2000.

Due to the age limit of 80 years took Cardinal Silvestrini part neither the conclave of 2005 still the conclave of 2013.

Even before the death of John Paul II in 2005, he held the resignation of a future Pope conceivable.

Honors

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