James Michael Harvey | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Harvey in 2013 | |
| Church | |
| See | Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls |
| Appointed | November 23, 2012 |
| Predecessor | Francesco Monterisi |
| Previous posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 29, 1975 by Pope Paul VI |
| Consecration | March 19, 1998 by Pope John Paul II |
| Created cardinal | November 24, 2012 byPope Benedict XVI |
| Rank |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-10-20)October 20, 1949 (age 76) |
| Education | |
| Motto | Zelus Domus Tuæ (Latin for 'Zeal for the Lord’s house') |
| Signature |  |
| Styles of James Michael Harvey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Cardinal |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
James Michael Harvey (born October 20, 1949) is anAmerican Catholic prelate who served from 1982 to 1998 in the central administration of theSecretariat of State at the Vatican. From 1998 to 2012, Harvey managed thepope's household, first forPope John Paul II and then forPope Benedict XVI. He was named bishop in 1998, archbishop in 2003, andcardinal in 2012.
Harvey was born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 20, 1949. Hewas ordained to thepriesthood for theArchdiocese of Milwaukee on June 29, 1975, byPope Paul VI in Rome.[1] Harvey studied atSt. Francis Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin. He then resided at thePontifical North American College while studying for aDoctor of Canon Law degree at thePontifical Gregorian University. He also studied diplomacy at thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome.
Harvey entered theVatican diplomatic service on March 25, 1980. He served asattaché and then secretary in the apostolic nunciature in theDominican Republic for two years. On July 10, 1982, Harvey took a position in the Section for Relations with States of theSecretariat of State of the Holy See. He was named assessor for general affairs of that secretariat on July 22, 1997.[2]
On February 7, 1998, Harvey was namedprefect of the papal household byPope John Paul II, who consecrated him abishop of thetitular see ofMemphis on March 19, 1998. As prefect, he oversaw the restoration of the papal audience hall and the papal apartments atCastel Gandolfo in Lazio, Italy.[1] The pope elevated him toarchbishop on September 29, 2003.[3] Later, in 2012, a member of Harvey's staff was convicted of stealing documents and leaking them to the media.[4]
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Harvey asarchpriest ofSt Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four major basilicas in Rome, on November 23, 2012. The next day, the pope appointed himcardinal-deacon ofSan Pio V a Villa Carpegna in Rome.[2] On December 22, 2012, Harvey was appointed a member of theCongregation for the Causes of Saints for a five-year renewable term. On January 31, 2013, Harvey was appointed a member of theAdministration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and theCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.[5] Harvey was one of thecardinal electors who participated in the2013 papal conclave that electedPope Francis.[6]
Harvey was awarded the title Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic by the President of the Italy in 1999.[7] He has also been titled Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Isabella the Catholic.[1]
Pope Francis named Harvey a member of theSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura on June 21, 2021.[8]
From 4 March 2022 to 1 July 2024, Harvey was—among the cardinal electors—the highest rankingcardinal deacon. He was thus, asprotodeacon, responsible for announcing the election of a new pope.[9] He was elevated to the order of cardinal priests, and thus ceased to be protodeacon, on 1 July 2024.[10] He again participated as acardinal elector in the2025 papal conclave that electedPope Leo XIV.[11]
Besides his native English, he speaks Italian, German, French, and Spanish.
According to a 2018Washington Post report, Harvey was one of many Catholic prelates who received large cash gifts from former cardinalTheodore McCarrick. In a 2019 interview, Harvey said that receiving money from other prelates was in no way out of the ordinary, adding that "it never occurred to me that this would be in some way improper" and that "it wasn't about currying favor".[12]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Assessor for General Affairs July 22, 1997 – February 7, 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household February 7, 1998 – November 23, 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls November 23, 2012 – present | Incumbent |
