Fernando Cento
Encyclopedia
Fernando Cento was a Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
who served as Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary
.
Fernando Cento was born in Pollenza
, Italy
. His parents were Evaristo Cento and his second wife, Ermelinda Andreani. He had a half-sister, Rosa, and a brother, Vincenzo.
of Macerata
from 1893 to 1905, where he was taught philosophy
and theology
, and later at the Pontifical Gregorian University
, where he studied canon law
. He continued his studies at La Sapienza University, Rome
where he obtained a doctorate
in letters. He received the diaconate on December 17, 1905 in the basilica of the Madonna della Misericordia.
; he had to obtain a dispensation for not having yet reached the canonical age of 23 years required to be ordained a priest. He served as professor
of literature
at the Seminary of Macerata; and of philosophy at the State Institute of Macerata from 1906 to 1916. He demonstrated excellent qualities as a preacher in several Italian dioceses. He was called to military service when Italy entered the First World War in 1915 and was attached to the military hospital of Ancona
from 1915 to 1917. He was created Privy chamberlain of His Holiness
on 15 November 1917.
on 22 July 1922. He was consecrated on 3 September 1922, by Cardinal Giovanni Tacci Porcelli
, Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Church
, assisted by Domenico Pasi, Bishop of Macerata-Tolentino, and by Placido Ferniani, Bishop of Ruvo e Bitonto. He was promoted to titular archbishop of Seleucia Pieria on 24 June 1926 and was appointed nuncio
to Venezuela
four days later. He remained in Venezuela until transferred to Peru
on 26 July 1936. As well as his duties in Peru he was charged with the affairs of the church in Ecuador
, which did not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See
for nearly forty years. He was named nuncio to Ecuador on 25 July 1937, after having successfully negotiated the modus vivendi
with the Ecuadorian government which established diplomatic relations between the two parties. He was Special Envoy to the inauguration of President Manuel Prado y Ugarteche of Peru, on 8 December 1939, to the inauguration of Juan Antonio Ríos Morales of Chile
on April 2, 1942, and to the inauguration of President José Luis Bustamante y Rivero of Peru on July 28, 1945. He remained in Latin America until he was appointed nuncio to Belgium
and Luxembourg
on 9 March 1946. He served as Special Envoy to the coronation
of Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
on 2 June 1953 and became Nuncio to Portugal in the same year.
(deaconry elevated pro hac vice
to title) by Pope John XXIII
in the consistory
of 15 December 1958. He was appointed as Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary
on 12 February 1962. He attended the Second Vatican Council
. One of his roles was reporting on the practice of indulgences, a report that was not favorably received by many at the council. He participated in the conclave of 1963
that elected Pope Paul VI
. He was elected to the order of Cardinal bishop, taking the title of the suburbicarian see of Velletri
on 23 April 1965. He resigned his post of Major Penitentiary in 1967. He lost the right to participate any future conclaves
on becoming over eighty years old on 1 January 1971.
, as well as from Macerata, Pollenza and Acireale, attended the funeral. A funeral mass in the cathedral of Macerata was presided over by Bishop Ersilio Tonini
of Macerata, concelebrated by 100 priests and numerous bishops. The funeral in Pollenza was a demonstration of the esteem of its population for the late cardinal. His mortal remains were buried in the parish church of S. Antonio, Pollenza, where he had celebrated his first mass.
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 Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary
Apostolic Penitentiary
The Apostolic Penitentiary, formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is one of the three tribunals of the Roman Curia. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church.The...
.
Fernando Cento was born in Pollenza
Pollenza
Pollenza is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 40 km southwest of Ancona and about 9 km southwest of Macerata. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,086 and an area of 39.5 km².Pollenza borders the following municipalities:...
, Italy
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...
. His parents were Evaristo Cento and his second wife, Ermelinda Andreani. He had a half-sister, Rosa, and a brother, Vincenzo.
Education
He was educated at the SeminarySeminary
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...
of Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
from 1893 to 1905, where he was taught philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
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...
, and later at 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...
, where he studied canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. He continued his studies at La Sapienza University, 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...
where he obtained a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in letters. He received the diaconate on December 17, 1905 in the basilica of the Madonna della Misericordia.
Priesthood
He was ordained on Saturday 23 December 1905 in MacerataMacerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
; he had to obtain a dispensation for not having yet reached the canonical age of 23 years required to be ordained a priest. He served as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at the Seminary of Macerata; and of philosophy at the State Institute of Macerata from 1906 to 1916. He demonstrated excellent qualities as a preacher in several Italian dioceses. He was called to military service when Italy entered the First World War in 1915 and was attached to the military hospital of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
from 1915 to 1917. He was created Privy chamberlain 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 15 November 1917.
Episcopate
He was appointed Bishop of Acireale by Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
on 22 July 1922. He was consecrated on 3 September 1922, by Cardinal Giovanni Tacci Porcelli
Giovanni Tacci Porcelli
Giovanni Tacci Porcelli was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches from 1922 to 1927, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1921.-Biography:...
, Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Church
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
The Congregation for the Oriental Churches is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for contact with the Eastern Catholic Churches for the sake of assisting their development, protecting their rights and also maintaining whole and entire in the one Catholic Church, alongside the liturgical,...
, assisted by Domenico Pasi, Bishop of Macerata-Tolentino, and by Placido Ferniani, Bishop of Ruvo e Bitonto. He was promoted to titular archbishop of Seleucia Pieria on 24 June 1926 and was appointed nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
four days later. He remained in Venezuela until transferred to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
on 26 July 1936. As well as his duties in Peru he was charged with the affairs of the church in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, which did not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See
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...
for nearly forty years. He was named nuncio to Ecuador on 25 July 1937, after having successfully negotiated the modus vivendi
Modus vivendi
Modus vivendi is a Latin phrase signifying an agreement between those whose opinions differ, such that they agree to disagree.Modus means mode, way. Vivendi means of living. Together, way of living, implies an accommodation between disputing parties to allow life to go on. It usually describes...
with the Ecuadorian government which established diplomatic relations between the two parties. He was Special Envoy to the inauguration of President Manuel Prado y Ugarteche of Peru, on 8 December 1939, to the inauguration of Juan Antonio Ríos Morales of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on April 2, 1942, and to the inauguration of President José Luis Bustamante y Rivero of Peru on July 28, 1945. He remained in Latin America until he was appointed nuncio to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
on 9 March 1946. He served as Special Envoy to the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 2 June 1953 and became Nuncio to Portugal in the same year.
Cardinalate
He was created Cardinal-Priest of Sant'EustachioSant'Eustachio
Sant'Eustachio is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, named for the martyr Saint Eustace.-History:The church was founded in the 8th century, or possibly even earlier . The church was recorded as a diaconia at the end of the pontificate of Pope Gregory II...
(deaconry elevated pro hac vice
Pro hac vice
Pro hac vice , Latin: "for this occasion" or "for this event", is a legal term usually referring to a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction but has been allowed to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction.The right to appear pro hac vice is not...
to title) by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 15 December 1958. He was appointed as Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary
Apostolic Penitentiary
The Apostolic Penitentiary, formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is one of the three tribunals of the Roman Curia. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church.The...
on 12 February 1962. He attended 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...
. One of his roles was reporting on the practice of indulgences, a report that was not favorably received by many at the council. He participated in the conclave of 1963
Papal conclave, 1963
The Papal conclave of 1963 was convoked following the death of Pope John XXIII on June 3 of that same year in the Apostolic Palace. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, the conclave to elect John's successor began on June 19 and ended two days later, on June 21, after six ballots. The...
that elected 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...
. He was elected to the order of Cardinal bishop, taking the title of the suburbicarian see of Velletri
Velletri
Velletri is an Italian town of 53,298 inhabitants. It is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio - Italy. It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa, Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio...
on 23 April 1965. He resigned his post of Major Penitentiary in 1967. He lost the right to participate any future conclaves
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...
on becoming over eighty years old on 1 January 1971.
Death
He died in 1973 in Rome. On that same day, Pope Paul visited the chapel where the body of the cardinal lay. The funeral mass, celebrated by Luigi Punzolo, titular archbishop of Sebastea, apostolic administrator of Velletri, took place in the patriarchal Vatican basilica on 16 January. Cardinal Luigi Traglia represented the pope in the final commendation. A large number of cardinals, archbishops and bishops of the Roman CuriaRoman 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...
, as well as from Macerata, Pollenza and Acireale, attended the funeral. A funeral mass in the cathedral of Macerata was presided over by Bishop Ersilio Tonini
Ersilio Tonini
Ersilio Tonini is an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia from 1975 to 1990, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994. When on 30 April 2010 Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer died, Cardinal Tonini became the oldest living cardinal...
of Macerata, concelebrated by 100 priests and numerous bishops. The funeral in Pollenza was a demonstration of the esteem of its population for the late cardinal. His mortal remains were buried in the parish church of S. Antonio, Pollenza, where he had celebrated his first mass.