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Andrea Cordero Lanza di MontezemoloItalian cardinal and Vatican diplomat
Date of Birth: 27.08.1925
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Military and Academic Career
- Priestly Vocation and Vatican Diplomacy
- Diplomatic Career
- Diplomatic Roles
- Archbishop and Papal Nuncio
- Montezemolo later served as:
- Cardinalate
- Legacy and Death
Early Life and Education
Born on August 27, 1925, in Turin, Italy, Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo came from a noble aristocratic family. He received his early education in Turin and earned a bachelor's degree in Rome.
Military and Academic Career
During World War II, Montezemolo served as a volunteer in the "Montezemolo Batallion," named after his father. After the war, he pursued a doctorate in architecture, graduating in 1949. He practiced architecture for several years while teaching as an associate professor at the university.
Priestly Vocation and Vatican Diplomacy
In the meantime, Montezemolo felt called to the priesthood. He studied as a lay student at the Pontifical Gregorian University and later as a seminarian at Collegio Capranica. After obtaining licenses in philosophy and theology, he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Vatican's diplomatic school, from 1957 to 1959. He also earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University.
Diplomatic Career
Montezemolo was ordained a priest on March 13, 1954, in Rome. He served as Vice-Chancellor of the Roman University before entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1960.
Diplomatic Roles
Throughout his career, Montezemolo held various diplomatic positions:- Secretary of the Apostolic Delegation to Mexico (1960-1964)
- Secretary of the Internunciature to Japan (1964-1966)
- Secretary of the Nunciature to Kenya and Apostolic Delegate to East Africa (1966-1968)
- Auditor of the Nunciature with second and first class qualifications (1968-1972)
- Deputy Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace (1972-1975)
- Pro-Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace (1975-1976)
- Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace (1976-1977)
Archbishop and Papal Nuncio
On April 5, 1977, Montezemolo was appointed titular Archbishop of Anglona and Pro-Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Apostolic Delegate to the Western and Southern Solomon Islands. He was ordained a bishop on June 4, 1977.
Montezemolo later served as:
- Nuncio to Nicaragua and Honduras (1980-1986)- Nuncio to Uruguay (1986-1990)
- Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine (1990-1998)
- Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Cyprus (1990-1998)
- Apostolic Nuncio to Italy and San Marino (1998-2001)
Resignation and Retirement
Montezemolo retired from diplomatic service in 2001. He was named Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in 2005, a position he held until 2009.
Cardinalate
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Montezemolo to the rank of Cardinal-Deacon with the titular deaconry of Santa Maria in Portica Campitelli. He was considered close to Benedict XVI, who had appointed him in 2005 to design the new papal coat of arms.
Legacy and Death
Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo died on November 19, 2017, at the age of 92. He is remembered for his contributions to Vatican diplomacy and his close association with Pope Benedict XVI.
