- Sergio Pignedoli
Sergio Pignedoli (
June 4 ,1910 —June 15 ,1980 ) was an Italian Cardinal of theRoman Catholic Church . He served as President of the Secretariat for Non-Christians from 1973 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973.Biography
Born in
Reggio Emilia , Sergio Pignedoli studied at theseminary in Reggio Emilia, the Catholic University of Milan (from where he received adoctorate in ancient studies), thePontifical Lateran University (obtaining a doctorate intheology ), and thePontifical Gregorian University (master's in ecclesiastical history) before being ordained a priest onApril 1 ,1933 . He then served as vice-rector of the seminary in Reggio Emilia until 1934, at which time he became achaplain at the Catholic University of Milan. DuringWorld War II , from 1940 to 1943, Pignedoli served as a navy chaplain, and continued his work as a chaplian inAzione Cattolica and the Italian Boy Scouts. First raised to the rank ofMonsignor onSeptember 5 ,1949 , he was also the Secretary of the Central Committee for the 1950 Holy Year, on which he commented, "This year's great discovery is that in a world apparently skeptical and indifferent, there's a vigorous current of faith" [Time Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,814183,00.html End of the Year]January 1 ,1951 ] .On
December 22 ,1950 , he was appointed Titular Archbishop of "Iconium" andNuncio toBolivia . Pignedoli received his episcopal consecration onFebruary 11 ,1951 from CardinalAdeodato Giovanni Piazza , OCD, with Archbishop Valerio Valeri and Bishop Beniamino Socche servng as co-consecrators, in theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls . After serving as Nuncio to Bolivia for four years, he was named Nuncio toVenezuela onOctober 19 ,1954 . OnApril 15 ,1955 , he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Milan, where he remained untilSeptember 23 ,1960 ; during his time in Milan, Pignedoli established a deep friendship with Giovanni Battista Montini that continued into the latter's rise to the papacy. From 1960 until 1967, he held the positions of Apostolic Delegate to Western andCentral Africa (1960-1964) and toCanada (1964-1967). Pignedoli also attended theSecond Vatican Council (1962-1965).Pope Paul VI appointed Pignedoli as Secretary of theCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples onJune 10 , 1967. He was created Cardinal Deacon of "S. Giorgio al Velabro" by Paul VI in theconsistory ofMarch 5 ,1973 . On the following day,March 6 , he became the second President of the Secretariat for Non-Christians (later renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue byPope John Paul II onJune 28 ,1988 ).In his capacity of cardinal, Pignedoli was one of the electors in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected
Pope John Paul I andPope John Paul II respectively. He was considered by many as a "papabile " in both of those conclaves [Time Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919824-2,00.html After Paul: The Leading Contenders]August 21 ,1978 ] [Time Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912229-4,00.html A "Foreign" Pope]October 30 ,1978 ] .Pignedoli died from a
pulmonary embolism during a visit to his native Reggio Emilia, at age 70 [Time Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924272,00.html Recent Events]June 30 ,1980 ] .Trivia
*During the conclave of August 1978, Pignedoli sat to the right of the altar in the
Sistine Chapel [Time Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946069,00.html How Pope John Paul I Won]September 11 ,1978 ] .
*Fluent in English and his native Italian, he claimed to have dreamed in French [The Star-Ledger. [http://www.nj.com/specialprojects/index.ssf?/specialprojects/brendan/byrneI.html Special Projects]May 13 ,2001 ] .References
External links
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-p.htm#Pignedoli Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpigne.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
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