Agostino Vallini
Italy- Early Life and Education
- Priesthood and Teaching
- Episcopal and Curia Appointments
- Cardinalate
- Later Years and Retirement
- Honors and Awards
Early Life and Education
Agostino Vallini was born on April 17, 1940, in Poli, Lazio, Italy. As a young boy, his family relocated to Barra, near Naples. He attended the Major Archdiocesan Seminary in Naples, the Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Northern Italy, and the Pontifical Lateran University, where he earned a doctorate in canon and civil law with a dissertation on the "New Code of Canon Law."
Priesthood and Teaching
On July 19, 1964, Vallini was ordained a Catholic priest in Naples. He taught canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Northern Italy, later becoming dean of the faculty. He also served as professor of canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University and an expert for the Italian Catholic University Federation. Subsequently, he was appointed rector of the Major Archdiocesan Seminary in Naples and a regional counselor for the Catholic Action movement.
Episcopal and Curia Appointments
On March 23, 1989, Pope John Paul II appointed Vallini titular bishop of Tortiboli and auxiliary bishop of Naples. He was consecrated on May 13, 1989. On November 13, 1999, Vallini was transferred to the Diocese of Albano, which he held until May 27, 2004. On May 27, 2004, he was appointed Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and elevated to the rank of archbishop.
Cardinalate
On March 24, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Vallini to the College of Cardinals as a cardinal-deacon of the titular diaconate of San Pier Damiani ai Monti di San Paolo. On June 27, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named him Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, succeeding Cardinal Camillo Ruini as Cardinal-Vicar and removing him from his post as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Raymond Leo Burke, then Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri, was named as the tribunal's prefect.
Vallini's appointment as Cardinal-Vicar significantly enhanced his influence within the Roman Curia and papal court, making him one of Pope Benedict XVI's closest cardinals. On February 24, 2009, Vallini was elevated to the rank of cardinal-priest pro hac vice of the titular diaconate of San Pier Damiani ai Monti di San Paolo. This indicated the pontiff's growing trust in Vallini, as cardinals-deacons are typically only elevated to the priesthood after ten years of service.
Later Years and Retirement
Vallini participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. On May 26, 2017, Pope Francis accepted Vallini's resignation as Cardinal-Vicar of Rome and appointed Bishop Angelo De Donatis as his successor.
Honors and Awards
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (October 4, 2008)
Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion for the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (May 25, 2006)
