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His Eminence Giacomo Biffi
Cardinal, Archbishop of Bologna
Archdiocese Bologna
See Bologna
Enthroned 19 April 1984
Reign ended 16 December 2003
Predecessor Enrico Manfredini
Successor Carlo Caffarra
Other posts Cardinal-Priest of Santi Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio
Orders
Ordination 23 December 1950
Consecration 11 January 1976
by Giovanni Colombo
Created Cardinal 25 May 1985
Rank Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name Giacomo Biffi
Born (1928-06-13)13 June 1928
Milan, Italy
Died 11 July 2015(2015-07-11) (aged 87)
Bologna, Italy
Nationality Italian
Denomination Roman Catholic
Previous post
  • Titular Bishop of Fidenae (1975-1984)
  • Auxiliary Bishop of Milan (1975-1984)
Motto Ubi Fides Ibi Libertas
Coat of arms {{{coat_of_arms_alt}}}
Styles of
Giacomo Biffi
Coat of arms of Giacomo Biffi.svg
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Bologna (Emeritus)

Giacomo Biffi (born June 13, 1928 – died July 11, 2015) was an important Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Bologna from 1984 to 2003. A Cardinal is a very high-ranking official in the Catholic Church, chosen by the Pope.

Biography

Giacomo Biffi was born in Milan, Italy. He studied to become a priest at the seminaries of the Archdiocese of Milan. On December 23, 1950, he was ordained as a priest by Cardinal Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster.

From 1951 to 1960, Biffi taught dogmatic theology, which is the study of religious beliefs. He also wrote many books about theology, catechism (religious instruction), and meditation. In 1955, he earned a doctorate degree in theology.

Pastoral Work and Leadership

From 1960 to 1975, Biffi worked as a parish priest in different churches in the Archdiocese of Milan. He was a parish priest in Legnano from 1960 to 1969, and then in Milan from 1969 to 1975.

In 1974, he became an Episcopal Vicar for Culture. This meant he helped oversee cultural matters for the church. He also became a canon theologian in Milan in 1975.

Becoming a Bishop and Cardinal

On December 7, 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed Biffi as an Auxiliary Bishop of Milan. He became a bishop on January 11, 1976. As a bishop, he served on important committees for the Italian Episcopal Conference, dealing with topics like doctrine, religious teaching, culture, and worship.

On April 19, 1984, Biffi was named the Archbishop of Bologna. He officially began his role on June 1 of that year. He was also chosen to lead the Episcopal Conference of Emilia-Romagna, a region in Italy.

Pope John Paul II made him a Cardinal-Priest on May 25, 1985. This is a very high honor in the Catholic Church. In 1989, Cardinal Biffi led spiritual exercises for the Pope and other church leaders during Lent. He retired from his role as Archbishop of Bologna in December 2003.

Papal Conclave

In 2005, Cardinal Biffi was one of the cardinals who voted in the papal conclave. This was the special meeting where cardinals chose the next Pope. In this conclave, Pope Benedict XVI was chosen.

Cardinal Biffi turned 80 years old in 2008. After this age, cardinals are no longer able to vote in future papal conclaves. He passed away on July 11, 2015.

Views and Writings

Cardinal Biffi was known for his strong and traditional views on faith and society. He believed it was important to keep Catholic teachings clear and strong. He worried about ideas that he felt might weaken the core beliefs of the Church.

He also held conservative views on various social topics. He believed that the Italian government should support Catholic immigrants to help protect Italy's "national identity" and cultural heritage.

In 2007, Cardinal Biffi shared many of his thoughts and opinions in a book called Memorie e digressioni di un italiano cardinale. This title means "Memoirs and digressions of an Italian cardinal."

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Giacomo Biffi para niños

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