Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo |
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|---|---|
| Cardinal-Archpriest of the Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls Basilica | |
| Church | Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls |
| Appointed | 31 May 2005 |
| Reign ended | 3 July 2009 |
| Successor | Francesco Monterisi |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 13 March 1954 |
| Consecration | 4 June 1977 by Jean-Marie Villot |
| Created Cardinal | 24 March 2006 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest (pro hac vice) of Santa Maria in Portico |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo |
| Born | 27 August 1925 Turin, Italy |
| Died | 19 November 2017 (aged 92) Rome |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Previous post |
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| Alma mater | Pontifical Lateran University, Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Coat of arms |  |
Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (born 27 August 1925 – died 19 November 2017) was an Italian leader in the Catholic Church. He worked as a diplomat for the Holy See (the government of the Catholic Church) from 1977 until he retired in 2001. From 2005 to 2009, he was the Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. In this role, he helped with important restoration work on the church. Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal on 24 March 2006.
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His Family Background
Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo was born in Turin, Italy. His family was noble, meaning they had a long history and important social standing. His father, Giuseppe, was an Army officer. He was sadly tortured and killed during the Ardeatine massacre. This happened because he resisted the Nazi occupation of Rome.
During that time, Andrea and his sister Adriana were hidden from the Nazis. Ukrainian priests kept them safe. Andrea and Adriana later showed great forgiveness towards those who committed these terrible acts, especially Erich Priebke. Andrea was also related to Luca di Montezemolo, who used to be the president of Ferrari cars.
His Education and Becoming a Priest
Andrea studied in Turin and Rome. He also fought in World War II. After the war, he studied architecture and became a professional architect. Later, he felt called to become a priest. He then studied theology and philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He also attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. This is a special school for future Vatican diplomats. He earned a doctorate in church law from the Pontifical Lateran University.
Working as a Diplomat for the Church
In 1976, Andrea became the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. This is a part of the Roman Curia (the Pope's administration) that works on issues of fairness and peace.
On 5 April 1977, he became an Archbishop. He was then sent as a diplomat, called an Apostolic Pro-Nuncio, to Papua New Guinea. He also served as an Apostolic Delegate to the Solomon Islands. These roles meant he represented the Pope in those countries.
Later, he became an Apostolic Nuncio (another type of papal diplomat) in other countries. These included Nicaragua and Honduras in 1980. In 1986, he moved to Uruguay.
Important Diplomatic Roles
On 28 April 1990, he became the Pope's representative to Jerusalem and Palestine. A month later, he also became the Pro-Nuncio to Cyprus. During his time there, an important agreement was made in 1993. This was the Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel. This agreement helped set up full diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel. Because of this, he became the first Nuncio to Israel.
In 1999, he received a high honor from Italy. It was called the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. His last diplomatic job was as Nuncio to Italy and San Marino. He started this role on 17 April 2001.
Role at Saint Paul Outside the Walls
In 2005, he designed the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Soon after, on 31 May 2005, he was named the Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. This is a very important church in Rome. As Archpriest, he worked with Benedictine Monks. They did important architectural work and restoration on the Basilica. This helped both local Catholics and pilgrims visiting from around the world.
Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal on 24 March 2006. At this time, he was already over 80 years old. This meant he could not vote in a conclave, which is when cardinals choose a new Pope.
| Styles of Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Santa Maria in Portico |
On 3 July 2009, Archbishop Francesco Monterisi took over as Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
Designing a New Coat of Arms
In 2013, Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo gave an interview. He said that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI needed a new coat of arms. This was because he was no longer the active Pope. Andrea believed the old coat of arms should change. He had always worked on such designs.
He even drew up a new coat of arms that he thought the former Pope could use. He moved the large keys of Saint Peter from the back of the design to the top of the shield. He also made them much smaller. He said, "But this is only a proposal, it isn't official."
Later Life and Passing
Pope Francis visited Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo in a nursing home in Rome in 2016. Andrea passed away on 19 November 2017. He was 92 years old.
Images for kids
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See also
- In Spanish: Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo para niños
