Velasio De Paolis Italian Curial Cardinal Date of Birth: 19.09.1935 Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Education
2. Priestly Ordination and Academic Career
3. Episcopal and Curia Appointments
4. Cardinalate
5. Resignation and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Born on September 19, 1935, in Sonnino, Italy, Velasio De Paolis joined the Congregation of Missionaries of Saint Charles on October 4, 1958. Pursuing his education in Rome, he earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and a degree in law from the Sapienza University of Rome.

Priestly Ordination and Academic Career

De Paolis was ordained a priest on March 18, 1961, and went on to teach canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. From 1971 onwards, he served as a professor of canon law at the Gregorian University, becoming a full professor in 1980 and a dean in 1983. He also held professorships at the Pontifical Urbaniana University from 1987 and served as its dean from 1998.

Episcopal and Curia Appointments

On December 30, 2003, Pope John Paul II named De Paolis Secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and appointed him titular bishop of Telepte in partibus. His episcopal ordination took place on February 21, 2004. On April 12, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI elevated De Paolis to the rank of archbishop and appointed him President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, replacing Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani. As President, he served as the Vatican's chief auditor. Additionally, De Paolis was appointed a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura on January 25, 2010.

Cardinalate

On October 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI announced the appointment of De Paolis as one of 24 new cardinals. The consistory took place on November 20, 2010, where De Paolis was made a cardinal deacon with the titular diaconate of Gesù Buono Pastore alla Montagnola.

Resignation and Legacy

On September 21, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI accepted De Paolis' resignation as President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, having reached the canonical age of retirement. His successor was Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi. De Paolis' outspoken comments on various issues, such as the need for self-defense against attacks on Christians and the refusal to allow filming of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" in Roman churches, left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church.