Ernesto Civardi
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Ernesto Civardi was an Italian
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
who served as Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops
from 1967 to 1979, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1979.
, and studied at the seminary
in Pavia before being ordained
to the priesthood
on June 29, 1930. He then entered the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
, from where he obtained his doctorate in canon law
. He became a lawyer
of the legal
section of the Roman Rota as well. His elder brother Luigi (1886–1971) became a bishop
in 1962.
Civardi served as Vice-Rector
of the Pontifical Lombard Seminary in Rome from 1932 to 1934, when he began pastoral
work in Rome and became an official of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
on July 15, 1950, and was Substitute (1953–1965) and Undersecretary
(1965–1967) of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. Civardi was also named Commissary
of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments
and Promoter of Justice on the Vatican City
Tribunal in 1953. He later became a referendary
(November 18, 1958) and voting prelate
(October 10, 1962) of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature
, and served as a peritus
, or theological
expert, at the Second Vatican Council
(1962–1965). From 1965 to 1967, he was Counselor of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
.
On May 17, 1967, Civardi was appointed Secretary
of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops
by Pope Paul VI
, and later Titular Archbishop
of Serdica on June 26 of that same year. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following July 16 from Pope Paul himself, with Bishops Augusto Gianfranceschi and Jacques-Paul Martin serving as co-consecrators
, in St. Peter's Basilica
. As Secretary, Civardi served as the second-highest official of that dicastery
, successively under Cardinals Carlo Confalonieri and Sebastiano Baggio. In January 1968, Civardi visited Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro
, and informed him of the Pope Paul's decision to accept his resignation as Archbishop of Bologna
.
On the day of his consecration he was named Secretary of the Sacred College of Cardinals
, in addition to his duties in the Congregation for Bishops. As such, he acted as secretary of the papal conclave
s of August and October 1978, although, not being a cardinal, he could not vote. When the newly-elected Pope John Paul I
's private secretary
, Fr. Diego Lorenzi, accidentally entered the Apostolic Palace
whilst it was still sealed for the conclave and encountered Civardi, the latter jokingly said, "You realize you are excommunicated
." Lorenzi, rather unfamiliar with Vatican
protocol, replied, "If I am, the Pope will restore me to the Communion of Saints
."
Pope John Paul II
created him Cardinal Deacon
of San Teodoro
in the consistory
of June 30, 1979, whereupon he ceased to serve as Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops. Civardi lost the right to participate in any future papal conclaves upon reaching the age of eighty on October 21, 1986. He was a self-proclaimed "man of the Curia
".
The Cardinal died in Rome at age 83. Following a funeral Mass
celebrated by John Paul II at the altar
of the Chair of St. Peter, he was buried in the chapel
of the Confraternita dei Lombardi at the Campo Verano cemetery.
Ernesto Civardi was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
who served as Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
from 1967 to 1979, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1979.
Biography
Ernesto Civardi was born in Fossarmato, PaviaPavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, and studied at the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Pavia before being ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on June 29, 1930. He then entered the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, from where he obtained his doctorate in canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
. He became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
of the legal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
section of the Roman Rota as well. His elder brother Luigi (1886–1971) became a bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
in 1962.
Civardi served as Vice-Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Pontifical Lombard Seminary in Rome from 1932 to 1934, when he began pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in Rome and became an official of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on July 15, 1950, and was Substitute (1953–1965) and Undersecretary
Undersecretary
An under secretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official...
(1965–1967) of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. Civardi was also named Commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
and Promoter of Justice on the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
Tribunal in 1953. He later became a referendary
Referendary
Referendary is the English form or rendering of a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organisations.-Secular:...
(November 18, 1958) and voting prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
(October 10, 1962) of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature
Apostolic Signatura
The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church...
, and served as a peritus
Peritus
Peritus is the title given to Roman Catholic theologians who are present to give advice at an ecumenical council. At the most recent council, the Second Vatican Council, some periti accompanied individual bishops or groups of bishops from various countries...
, or theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
expert, at the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
(1962–1965). From 1965 to 1967, he was Counselor of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
.
On May 17, 1967, Civardi was appointed Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, and later Titular Archbishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Serdica on June 26 of that same year. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following July 16 from Pope Paul himself, with Bishops Augusto Gianfranceschi and Jacques-Paul Martin serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
. As Secretary, Civardi served as the second-highest official of that dicastery
Dicastery
Dicastery is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia....
, successively under Cardinals Carlo Confalonieri and Sebastiano Baggio. In January 1968, Civardi visited Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro
Giacomo Lercaro
Giacomo Lercaro was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Ravenna from 1947 to 1952, and Archbishop of Bologna from 1952 to 1968. Lercaro was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII.-Early life and ordination:Giacomo Lercaro was born in Quinto al...
, and informed him of the Pope Paul's decision to accept his resignation as Archbishop of Bologna
Archdiocese of Bologna
The Archdiocese of Bologna is a Roman Catholic archbishopric in northern Italy, with the archiepiscopal seat in Bologna Cathedral. The current Archbishop is Cardinal Carlo Caffarra since 2003.The archdiocese has the following suffragans:*diocese of Imola...
.
On the day of his consecration he was named Secretary of the Sacred College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
, in addition to his duties in the Congregation for Bishops. As such, he acted as secretary of the papal conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
s of August and October 1978, although, not being a cardinal, he could not vote. When the newly-elected Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
's private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
, Fr. Diego Lorenzi, accidentally entered the Apostolic Palace
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
whilst it was still sealed for the conclave and encountered Civardi, the latter jokingly said, "You realize you are excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
." Lorenzi, rather unfamiliar with Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
protocol, replied, "If I am, the Pope will restore me to the Communion of Saints
Communion of Saints
The communion of saints , when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, and, for those who believe in purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification.They are all part of a single "mystical body",...
."
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
created him Cardinal Deacon
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of San Teodoro
San Teodoro
San Teodoro may refer to:*Italy**San Teodoro , comune in the Province of Messina, Lombardy**San Teodoro , comune in the Province of Olbia-Tempio, Sardinia**San Teodoro , 6th century church of Rome*Philippines...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of June 30, 1979, whereupon he ceased to serve as Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops. Civardi lost the right to participate in any future papal conclaves upon reaching the age of eighty on October 21, 1986. He was a self-proclaimed "man of the Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
".
The Cardinal died in Rome at age 83. Following a funeral Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
celebrated by John Paul II at the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
of the Chair of St. Peter, he was buried in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the Confraternita dei Lombardi at the Campo Verano cemetery.