His Eminence Raffaele Farina | |
|---|---|
| Archivist Emeritus of theVatican Secret Archives | |
 Cardinal Farina | |
| Appointed | 25 June 2007 |
| Term ended | 9 June 2012 |
| Predecessor | Jean-Louis Tauran |
| Other posts |
|
| Previous posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1 July 1958 by Michele Alberto Arduino |
| Consecration | 16 December 2006 by Tarcisio Bertone |
| Created cardinal | 24 November 2007 byPope Benedict XVI |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon (2007-18) Cardinal-Priest (from 2018) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Raffaele Farina (1933-09-24)24 September 1933 (age 92) Buonalbergo, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Motto | Dominus spes nostra |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Raffaele Farina | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Raffaele FarinaSDB (born 24 September 1933) is an Italiancardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Archivist of theVatican Secret Archives, Librarian of theVatican Library, and president (Consiglio di Presidenza) of Scuola Vaticana di Paleografia, Diplomatica e Archivistica.[1] Farina was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.
Born inBuonalbergo, Farina entered theSalesians of Don Bosco, more commonly known as the Salesians, at the novitiate of Portici Bellavista at the age of sixteen. He professed his simple (temporary) vows on 25 September 1949, and made hisperpetual vows on 25 September 1954; one of his sisters is also a Salesian. Farina began his studies intheology at thePontifical Salesian Athenaeum ofTurin in 1954 as well, obtaining hislicentiate in theology from the Athenaeum in 1958. He wasordained to thepriesthood by Bishop Michele Alberto Arduino SDB, on 1 July 1958.
Farina later studiedecclesiastical history at thePontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and received his doctorate in 1965. For the following three years, he worked on his specialization at theGerman Foundation "Humboldt" inFreiburg andBonn.
From 1968 to 1972, he was professor of the history of the Church (covering the origin to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD) and ofMethodology in the TheologicalFaculty of the Pontifical Salesian University; he then served asdean of the same faculty until 1974, and wasrector of the university for two terms (1977–1983, 1992–1997). Farina was namedregolatore of the XXI general chapter of his congregation in 1978.
From 1982 to 1986, he was Secretary of thePontifical Committee of Historical Sciences, and was madeUndersecretary ofPontifical Council for Culture within theRoman Curia in 1986. NamedPrefect of theVatican Library byPope John Paul II on 25 May 1997, he was the second-highest official in that office, successively under CardinalsLuigi Poggi andJean-Louis Tauran.
On 15 November 2006, Farina was appointedTitular Bishop ofOpitergium byPope Benedict XVI. He received hisepiscopal consecration on the following 16 December from three cardinals, fellow SalesianTarcisio Bertone as principal consecrator, withJames Stafford and Jean-Louis Tauran asco-consecrators, inSt. Peter's Basilica. Farina was later namedArchivist of theVatican Secret Archives and Librarian of theVatican Library on 25 June 2007, replacing Cardinal Tauran, who was made President of thePontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. On the same date he was given the rank ofArchbishop.
Pope Benedict created himCardinal-Deacon ofSan Giovanni della Pigna in theconsistory of 24 November 2007.
On 12 June 2008 in addition to his main duties he was appointed by Benedict as a member of congregations in theRoman Curia[1][permanent dead link]. These are: theCongregation for the Causes of Saints,Congregation for Catholic Education and thePontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.
On 9 June 2012 he retired from posts ofArchivist of theVatican Secret Archives and Librarian of theVatican Library.
Cardinal Farina currently sits on thePontifical Academy of Sciences, and is also fluent in German, Spanish, Japanese, and French.
In August 2010 Farina said thatPope John Paul II declined then-Cardinal Ratzinger's request to spend his last years as the archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church. Farina recalled when he was appointed prefect of the Vatican Library in May 1997 having a brief meeting with Ratzinger in which he was asked his opinion of Ratzinger joining the team. Ratzinger asked the Pope if he could step down from his role when he turned 70 on 16 April 1997. "He was asking me what I thought of his idea and what being archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church involved", said Farina.[2]
He was one of thecardinal electors who participated in the2013 papal conclave that electedPope Francis.
In June 2013Pope Francis bychirograph named Cardinal Farina president of the five memberPontifical Commission investigating theInstitute for the Works of Religion.[3] The other members are, Cardinal Tauran,Peter Brian Wells, BishopJuan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru who will act as Coordinator andMary Ann Glendon.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Giuseppe G. Gamba SDB | Dean of the Faculty of Theology of theSalesian Pontifical University 1973–1975 | Succeeded by Mario Midali SDB |
| Preceded by Pietro Braido SDB | Rector of theSalesian Pontifical University 1977–1983 | Succeeded by Roberto Giannatelli SDB |
| Preceded by Amato Frutaz | Secretary of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences 1982–1986 | Succeeded by Vittorino Grossi OSA |
| New title | Undersecretary of thePontifical Council for Culture 1986–1991 | Succeeded by Bernard Ardura OPraem |
| Preceded by Angelo Amato SDB | Rector of theSalesian Pontifical University 1991–1997 | Succeeded by Michele Pellerey |
| Preceded by Leonard Eugene Boyle | Prefect of theVatican Library 1997–2007 | Succeeded by Cesare Pasini |
| Preceded by | Archivist of theVatican Secret Archives 2007–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Librarian of the Holy Roman Church 2007–2012 | ||
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna 2007–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
