Pope mourns Cardinal Umberto Betti's death

(April, 02,2009) Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his deep sorrow at the death of Italian cardinal Umberto Betti who was one of the theological experts at the Second Vatican Council. The 87-year old cardinal died on Wednesday. In a condolence message to Father José Rodríguez Carballo, head of the Order of Friars Minor, to which the cardinal belonged, the Holy Father noted his “ministry carried out with zeal." He particularly recalled that Cardinal Betti was "an illustrious theological expert at the Second Vatican Council," as well as an "appreciated consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Secretariat of State, and a magnificent rector of the Pontifical Lateran University." Umberto Betti was a priest when Pope Benedict made him a cardinalship on him in 2007. With the death of Cardinal Betti, the College of Cardinals now has 186 members, of whom 115 are electors.