Tarcisio Bertone
| His Eminence Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. |
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|---|---|
| Secretary of the Secretariat of State | |
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| See | Frascati |
| Appointed | 15 September 2006 |
| Predecessor | Angelo Sodano |
| Other posts | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1 July 1960 by Albino Mensa |
| Consecration | 1 August 1991 by Albino Mensa |
| Created Cardinal | 21 October 2003 by John Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal-Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone |
| Born | 2 December 1934 Romano Canavese, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Residence | Vatican City |
| Previous post |
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| Motto | fidem custodire, concordiam servare (Protect Faith, Preserve Unity) |
| Signature |  |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Ordination history of Tarcisio Bertone | |
|---|---|
| Episcopal consecration | |
| Principal consecrator | Albino Mensa |
| Date of consecration | 1 August 1991 |
| Bishops consecrated by Tarcisio Bertone as principal consecrator | |
| Mauro Piacenza | 15 November 2003 |
| Luigi Palletti | 16 January 2005 |
| Raffaele Cardinal Farina, S.D.B. | 16 December 2006 |
| Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv. | 16 December 2006 |
| Antoni Stankiewicz | 16 December 2006 |
| Carlo Chenis, S.D.B. | 10 February 2007 |
| Leo Boccardi | 18 March 2007 |
| Vincenzo Bertolone, S.d.P. | 3 May 2007 |
| Michele Di Ruberto | 30 June 2007 |
| Gaetano Galbusera Fumagalli, S.D.B. | 26 August 2007 |
| Vito Rallo | 28 October 2007 |
| Gianni Ambrosio | 16 February 2008 |
| Luciano Suriani | 26 April 2008 |
| Léon Kalenga Badikebele | 1 May 2008 |
| Frans Daneels, O. Praem. | 1 May 2008 |
| Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru | 1 May 2008 |
| Miguel Maury Buendía | 12 June 2008 |
| Paolo De Nicolò | 12 June 2008 |
| Bernardito Auza | 3 July 2008 |
| Piergiuseppe Vacchelli | 3 July 2008 |
| Luis Ladaria Ferrer, S.J. | 26 July 2008 |
| Ambrogio Spreafico | 26 July 2008 |
| Martin Krebs | 16 November 2008 |
| Luigi Bianco | 25 April 2009 |
| Jan Pawłowski | 30 April 2009 |
| Joseph Spiteri | 24 May 2009 |
| Mario Toso, S.D.B. | 12 December 2009 |
| Jean Laffitte | 12 December 2009 |
| Giovanni D’Ercole, F.D.P. | 12 December 2009 |
| Petar Rajič | 23 January 2010 |
| Piero Pioppo | 18 March 2010 |
| Novatus Rugambwa | 18 March 2010 |
| Eugene Nugent | 18 March 2010 |
| Valentino Di Cerbo | 1 May 2010 |
| Giorgio Lingua | 9 October 2010 |
| Barthélemy Adoukonou | |
Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone, S.D.B. (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate and a Vatican diplomat. A cardinal of the Catholic Church, he currently serves as Cardinal Secretary of State, having previously served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, was Prefect, and Archbishop of Genoa from 2002 to 2006. Bertone was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003. On 10 May 2008, he was named Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati.
Cardinal Bertone served as Camerlengo following Benedict XVI's resignation on 28 February 2013 and until the election of Pope Francis, he served temporarily as the administrator of the Holy See and acting head of state of the Vatican City State. He was considered a contender to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned on 28 February 2013.[1]
Besides his native Italian, Bertone speaks fluent French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. He has some knowledge of English, although he is not fluent, and he can read Polish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
Early life
Bertone was born in Romano Canavese, Piedmont, the fifth of eight children. Bertone has stated that his mother was a determined anti-fascist militant of the Italian People's Party, and later a Christian Democrat.
He professed his vows as a member of the Salesians on 3 December 1950, and was ordained a priest by Archbishop Albino Mensa on 1 July 1960. He holds a doctorate in canon law. His dissertation was entitled The Governance of the Church in the Thought of Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758).[2] He served as Professor of Special Moral Theology at the Pontifical Salesian University from 1967 until his appointment as Professor of Canon Law in 1976, a post he held until 1991. He was a visiting professor of Public Ecclesiastical Law at the Institute Utriusque Iuris of the Pontifical Lateran University in 1978. In 1988 he was appointed to a group of experts that assisted Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in negotiations with the then-excommunicated Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. He was also commissioned by Pope John Paul II to assist Emmanuel Milingo, Archbishop Emeritus of Lusaka, Zambia, in returning to the Catholic Church in 2001. Milingo had left the Church to marry Maria Sung of the Moon sect.[3]
Archbishop and Cardinal
On 4 July 1991, Bertone was appointed Archbishop of Vercelli by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated bishop one month later by Archbishop Mensa, who had also ordained him. He held this post until his resignation in 1995 upon being named Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict XVI. Appointed Archbishop of Genoa on 10 December 2002 and installed on 2 February 2003, Bertone was elevated to the College of Cardinals in the consistory of 21 October 2003, as Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana. Then-Archbishop Angelo Amato succeeded Bertone as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, before becoming the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
As a member of the Society of Don Bosco, he is considered a priest who has undertaken work with youth whom, in Pope John Paul's last words, he had sought throughout his papacy. Bertone's secretary once related a story that "Bertone once decided to take a public bus to the Apostolic Palace. As the Cardinal in his long black cassock and red fascia strode on to the bus, the people, especially a group of young people, stared in silence. Bertone immediately broke the ice with his 'characteristic' smile. By the time he reached his destination the prelate had engaged the youth in a deep conversation on love, sex, virginity, and chastity".[4]
He later specialized in the relationship between social morality, faith and politics. He also assisted with the revision of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, and undertook pastoral work in parishes. In the Jubilee Year 2000, Cardinal Bertone was entrusted by John Paul II with the publication of the third part of the secret of Fatima.
Bertone was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI and in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis. Cardinal Bertone is eligible to vote in any future conclaves that begin before his 80th birthday on 2 December 2014.
On 15 March 2005, Bertone was in the news for "breaking the Church's silence" and sharply criticizing Dan Brown's 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, saying the book was "shameful and unfounded lies", and that believers should boycott the book. Both Bertone and official Vatican spokespeople insisted that Bertone was not speaking as an official representative of the Church, but it was also noted that Bertone's high placement within the Church hierarchy (his name was often cited as a potential candidate for the next pontiff) gave his words considerable weight, such that his comments were often reported by various media as an official statement from the Vatican.[5] In 2006, the NBC news program Dateline described his statement as "a high-ranking Vatican Cardinal called for a boycott of the film."
Cardinal Secretary of State
| Styles of Tarcisio Bertone, SDB |
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|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Frascati (Suburbicarian) |
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On 22 June 2006, Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Bertone to replace Angelo Sodano as the Cardinal Secretary of State, assuming the office on 15 September of that same year. On 26 June 2006 Cardinal Bertone was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.[6]
It was revealed on the following 31 August that Cardinal Bertone had a dream in which Pope John Paul II spoke to him saying "do not be afraid" to the Cardinal as he prepared to take his new job.[7]
On 4 April 2007, Benedict XVI also appointed Cardinal Bertone as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (or Chamberlain). The duties of the Camerlengo are largely confined to administration during the vacancy of the Holy See.[8] On 10 May 2008 he was promoted to the rank of Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati.[9]
Bertone is known to study the problem at hand before taking action. One such example is when after he was named Archbishop of Vercelli he "locked himself in his room all night and studied the life of Saint Eusebius, who was bishop of the city back in 345 AD".[4]
He is a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Congregation for the Clergy, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Congregation for Bishops and Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He will hold these memberships until his 80th birthday on 2 December 2014.
Evaluation of dicasteries
Two weeks before entering office, Bertone was interviewed and asked his opinion about reforms of the Roman Curia. Bertone remarked, "After almost two decades, an evaluation of how the dicasteries are organised is more than comprehensible, in order to reflect on how to make the existing structures more efficient for the mission of the Church and eventually to consider whether all of them should be maintained".[10]
Church and sports
Cardinal Bertone suggested in December 2006 that the Holy See "could, in future, field a team that plays at the top level, with Roma, Internazionale, Genoa and Sampdoria." He continued by saying, "If we just take the Brazilian students from our Pontifical universities we could have a magnificent squad".[11] However, only hours later he said, "I've got much more to do than cultivating a football squad for the Vatican", and explained that his earlier remark was not intended to be taken seriously.[12]
Defense of Pius XII
On 5 June 2007, at a conference announcing the release of a new biography of Pope Pius XII, Bertone defended Pius against claims of indifference toward the Jews during The Holocaust. The Cardinal condemned this accusation as a "black legend" and "an attack on good sense and on rationality", which has "become so firmly established that even to scratch it is an arduous task".[13] Although he admitted that Pius XII had been "cautious" in condemning Nazi Germany, Bertone stated that Nazi forces would have intensified its program of genocide had the Pope been more outspoken.
Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
On 16 September 2006, Cardinal Bertone, after only one day in his job as Cardinal Secretary of State, released a declaration explaining that the "position of the Pope concerning Islam is unequivocally that expressed by the conciliar document Nostra Aetate" and that "the Pope's option in favour of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue is equally unequivocal."[14]
As for the opinion of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus which he quoted during his Regensburg talk, the Holy Father did not mean, nor does he mean, to make that opinion his own in any way. He simply used it as a means to undertake—in an academic context, and as is evident from a complete and attentive reading of the text—certain reflections on the theme of the relationship between religion and violence in general, and to conclude with a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come. [The Pope] sincerely regrets that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful and should have been interpreted in a manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions.[15][16](emphasis as in original)
Comments by Patriarch Alexius II
On 5 December 2006, Patriarch Alexius II accused the Holy See of an "extremely unfriendly policy"[17] when he said that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in Orthodox lands in Russia and other ex-Soviet republics. In response, Cardinal Bertone said, "We do not want to engage in proselytism in Russia".[18]
Le Figaro interview
On 31 March 2007, Cardinal Bertone confirmed Pope Benedict's impending publication of the long-expected motu proprio extending the indult for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro.[19][20][21]
In the same interview, Bertone "blasted the media for highlighting the Vatican's views on sex while maintaining a 'deafening silence' about charity work done by thousands of Catholic organisations around the world."[22] He continued by saying, "I see a fixation by some journalists on moral topics, such as abortion and homosexual unions, which are certainly important issues but absolutely do not constitute the thinking and work of the Church."
Proposed excommunication of drug dealers
On 14 January 2009, Cardinal Bertone suggested that the Church would consider taking much stronger action against drug dealers. This action might possibly include excommunication. He made a statement about the Church's alarm at the "disaster" of drug-fuelled violence on the eve of a trip to Mexico.[23]
Support for universal and free access to anti-AIDS drugs
On Friday 22 June 2012, in an online news story article by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service (CNS), it was reported that, in a conference in Rome on the prevention of the transmission of AIDS from mothers to children sponsored by the lay Community of Sant'Egidio (which runs the DREAM project, a free AIDS prevention/treatment program in 10 African countries), the Cardinal Secretary of State urged that full and easy access to antiretroviral drugs be made free worldwide (these are drugs, such as AZT, that can treat, and in some cases, can prevent people from getting, AIDS; they do not presently cure AIDS once it has infected someone). Cardinal Bertone acknowledged that the only way this would be remotely feasible, especially in Africa- where the efforts would be most needed and focused- would be through a collaborative effort involving aid groups, governments, donors, medical groups, pharmaceutical companies, and churches.[24]
Vatican leaks
Cardinal Bertone is the main target of much of the leaks in the Roman Curia. Cardinal Bertone blamed the scandal over leaked Vatican documents on unethical journalists and a spirit of hostility toward the Catholic Church. "Many journalists play at imitating Dan Brown," said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, in an interview with the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana. "They continue to invent fables or repeat legends." Cardinal Bertone made his remarks as Vatican judges were investigating leaks to Italian journalists of dozens of documents, including letters to the pope and encrypted cables from Vatican embassies around the world, several of which hint at power struggles among officials of the Holy See. "The truth is that there is a malicious will to produce division" among the collaborators of Pope Benedict XVI, he said.[25]
Ash Wednesday speech
On 13 February 2013, at the last public Mass of Pope Benedict XVI before his resignation would take effect on 28 February, Cardinal Bertone praised Pope Benedict, "We would not be honest, Your Holiness, if we said that this evening there is not a hint of sadness in our hearts. In recent years, your teaching has been a window open onto the Church and the world, which let in the rays of truth and love of God, to enlighten and warm our journey, even and especially at times when clouds gathered in the sky". Cardinal Bertone went on to say "All of us have realized that it is precisely the deep love that Your Holiness has for God and the Church that prompted you to make this act, revealing that purity of mind, that strong and demanding faith, that strength of humility and meekness, along with great courage, that have marked every step of your life and your ministry".[26]
Criticisms
Controversial statements on child abuse within the Church
In his book The Case of the Pope, Geoffrey Robertson criticises Bertone for his hyperbolic rejection of the "demand that a bishop be obligated to contact police to denounce a priest who had admitted paedophilia". Bertone argued that "if a priest cannot confide in his bishop for fear of being denounced then it would mean that there is no more liberty of conscience". As recently as Easter 2010, Bertone has publicly blamed the child sex scandal on homosexual infiltration of the clergy.
Political controversies in the Roman Curia
Bertone has been criticized by Catholic journalist Sandro Magister for having exposed Benedict XVI to public controversies surrounding episcopal nominations in Italy and Poland.[27] Magister also writes that the problems in communications and governance that were visible during the Williamson affair can largely be attributed to Bertone.[28]
Third Secret of Fatima controversy
Bertone has been accused of lying about the content of the Third Secret of Fatima in his book, The Last Secret of Fatima,[29] and also in televised appearances.[30][31] After Bertone's book was published, Italian journalist Antonio Socci published an article entitled, Dear Cardinal Bertone: Who—between you and me—is Deliberately Lying?.[30] Catholic attorney Christopher Ferrara wrote an entire book called The Secret Still Hidden[32] aimed at exposing and debunking the claims of Cardinal Bertone with respect to Fatima.[31] The book contains an appendix entitled, 101 Grounds for Doubting Cardinal Bertone's Account. In particular, it is claimed that Bertone engaged in a systematic deception along with Cardinal Sodano and Cardinal Ratzinger to cover-up the existence of a one-page document containing the words Lúcia Santos said were relayed to her in a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which some believe contains information about the Apocalypse and a great apostasy.[31][33] Bertone denied that he told anything less than the full truth about Fatima in a televised appearance.[34]
Awards and honors
In February 2010 president Lech Kaczyński of Poland conferred on the cardinal the country's highest decoration for foreign nationals, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Poland, "for the lofty merits acquired in the development of the collaboration between the Republic of Poland and the Holy See and for the work carried out in favor of the Church in Poland."
Cardinal Bertone also received the Gaudium et Spes Award at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in 2007. It is the order's highest honor.[35]
References
- ^ "Staking a wager on the next pope". CNN.
- ^ Zenit. Cardinal Bertone Prefers Activity to Study 15 September 2006
- ^ "Archbishop Milingo Criticizes Moon Sect". ZENIT. 27 August 2001.
- ^ a b Whispers in the Loggia. The Faithful Secretary 18 August 2006
- ^ BBC News. Church Fights Da Vinci Code Novel 15 March 2006
- ^ "Presidenza della Repubblica". Quirinale.it. 26 June 2006.
- ^ Whispers in the Loggia. Bertone: "I Had a Dream" 31 August 2006
- ^ Press Office of the Holy See RINUNCE E NOMINE, 04.04.2007
- ^ [1]
- ^ CathNews. Cardinal Bertone Wants to be Secretary of Church Not State 31 August 2006
- ^ Telegraph. Vatican Wants to Play Priests in Serie A 20 December 2006
- ^ David Willey (19 December 2006). "Vatican plays down soccer 'joke'". BBC News. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- ^ Catholic World News. Strong Defense of Pius XII by Cardinal Bertone 6 June 2007
- ^ Libreria Editrice Vaticana'. "Traduzione In Lingua Inglesse" 16 September 2006
- ^ Reuters. "Pope apologises to Muslims", 16 September 2006
- ^ Associated Press. "Pope 'sincerely regrets' he offended Muslims" 16 September 2006
- ^ KYIV Post[dead link]
- ^ Zenit. Cardinal Bertone: We Don't Proselytize 5 December 2006
- ^ Le Figaro. Bertone: "Foi et raison ne s'opposent pas" – in French 2 April 2007
- ^ Rortate Cæli. Breaking News: Bertone Confirms Motu Proprio 31 March 2007
- ^ Catholic World News. Media Distort Church Statements, Cardinal Bertone Charges 2 April 2007
- ^ Moora. Pope's Aide Blasts Church Media Coverage 1 April 2007
- ^ "Cardinal flags excommunication for drug traffickers". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Top Vatican official calls for free universal access to AIDS therapy". Catholicnews.com.
- ^ "Denouncing leaks, top Vatican official likens journalists to Dan Brown". Catholicnews.com.
- ^ "Farewell address to the Holy Father". Zenit.org. 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Tarcisio Bertone, the Cardinal Who Was Supposed to Help the Pope" (in (Italian)). la Repubblica.
- ^ "Double Disaster at the Vatican: Of Governance, and of Communication" (in (Italian)). la Repubblica.
- ^ Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (2008). The Last Secret of Fatima. Doubleday Religion. ISBN 978-0-385-52582-4.
- ^ a b Socci, Antonio, Who Between — You and Me — is Deliberately Lying?
- ^ a b c Ferrara, Christopher (2008). The Secret Still Hidden. Good Counsel Publications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9815357-0-8. (Content of book available online for free).
- ^ "Book". Secret Still Hidden.
- ^ Kramer, Father Paul (2002). The Devil's Final Battle. Good Counsel Publications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9663046-5-7. (Content of book available online for free).
- ^ Television special filmed in Italy on 21 September 2007; filmed in an auditorium at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy.
- ^ "Cardinal Bertone receives Gaudium et Spes award from Knights". catholicnewsagency. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tarcisio Bertone |
- Biography at catholic-pages.com
- Tarcisio Bertone, Salesian Cardinal
- Salt+Light TV Interview: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, SDB – Witness
- Bertone interview
- Thomas P. Doyle – Letter to Cardinal Bertone
- God's bankers – Economist
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Albino Mensa |
Archbishop of Vercelli 4 June 1991 – 13 June 1995 |
Succeeded by Enrico Masseroni |
| Preceded by Alberto Bovone |
Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 13 June 1995 – 10 December 2002 |
Succeeded by Angelo Amato, SDB |
| Preceded by Dionigi Tettamanzi |
Archbishop of Genova 10 December 2002 – 15 September 2006 |
Succeeded by Angelo Bagnasco |
| Preceded by Eduardo Martínez Somalo |
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church 4 April 2007 |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Alfonso López Trujillo |
Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati 10 May 2008 – present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Angelo Sodano |
Cardinal Secretary of State 15 September 2006 |
Incumbent |
|
