Pope’s condolences on death of Cardinal Lorenzo Antonetti

April 10, 2013: Pope Francis has expressed his condolence at the death of Italian Cardinal Lorenzo Antonetti who passed away at the age of 90 on Wednesday. In a message to Bishop Franco Giulio Brambilla of Novara, the home diocese of the cardinal, the Pope remembered the late prelate as an ardent collaborator of the Holy See, particularly in its diplomatic missions in various countries; as president of the Administration for the Patrimony of the Apostolic See in the Vatican and as the pontifical delegate to the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. Pope Francis noted that everywhere Cardinal Antonetti gave witness to fervent priestly zeal and fidelity to the Gospel that was well admired.
Born July 31, 1922 in Romagnano, Sesia, Cardinal Lorenzo was ordained priest for the Diocese of Novara in 1945, and holds a degree in theology and a doctorate in canon law. After studying at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service and served in Lebanon and Venezuela. After his appointment as Archbishop in 1968, he served as Apostolic Nuncio in Nicaragua, Honduras, Zaire and France. Pope John Paul II made him cardinal in 1988 and appointed him President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. 1998.
With the death of Cardinal Antonetti, the College of Cardinals now stands at 205, of whom 113 are below the age of 80 and can vote for a new pope.