Giovanni Benelli | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal, Archbishop of Florence | |
 Giovanni Benelli in 1978. | |
| Archdiocese | Florence |
| See | Florence |
| Appointed | 3 June 1977 |
| Term ended | 26 October 1982 |
| Predecessor | Ermenegildo Florit |
| Successor | Silvano Piovanelli |
| Other post | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca (1977–82) |
| Previous posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 31 October 1943 by Giuseppe Debernardi |
| Consecration | 11 September 1966 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani |
| Created cardinal | 27 June 1977 byPaul VI |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Giovanni Benelli (1921-05-12)12 May 1921 |
| Died | 26 October 1982(1982-10-26) (aged 61) |
| Motto | Virtus Ex Alto ("Power From on High") |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Giovanni Benelli | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Florence |
Giovanni Benelli (12 May 1921 – 26 October 1982) was anItalian Catholic prelate who served asArchbishop of Florence from 1977 until his death. He previously served as DeputySecretary of State for the Holy See from 1967 until he was appointed to Archbishop of Florence and made acardinal the same year.
Giovanni Benelli was born 12 May 1921 in Poggiole diVernio, Tuscany, to Luigi and Maria (née Simoni) Benelli.Baptised the day after his birth, on 13 May, he was the youngest of his parents' five surviving children, and his uncle Guido was a reveredFranciscanfriar. Benelli entered theSeminary ofPistoia in 1931, and then attended thePontifical Gregorian University and thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. He received the clericaltonsure on 23 December 1939, and was eventuallyordained apriest on 31 October 1943 by Bishop Giuseppe Debernardi.[1] At age 22, he had not yet reached the canonical age of 24 for priestly ordination, and therefore was given a special dispensation. Benelli finished his studies at the Gregorian in 1947, and also undertookpastoral work in Rome until 1950.
His abilities were noticed by the Church, becomingprivate secretary in 1946 to Deputy Secretary of StateGiovanni Battista Montini.[1] Benelli joined the diplomatic service in 1948, and was raised to the rank ofMonsignor on 16 July 1950. He served as the Secretary ofnunciatures toIreland (1950–1953) and to France (1953–1960). Benelli was then appointed to the following posts:auditor of nunciature toBrazil (1960–1962), counsellor of nunciature to Spain (1962–1965), andpermanent observer of Holy See to UNESCO in Paris (1965–1966).
On 11 June 1966, he was appointedTitular Archbishop of Tusuro andApostolic Nuncio toSenegal, as well as apostolic delegate to Western Africa. Benelli received hisepiscopal consecration on the following 11 September fromCardinal Secretary of StateAmleto Giovanni Cicognani, with ArchbishopPietro Sigismondi and Bishop Mario Longo Dorni serving asco-consecrators. These assignments gave him a deep interest in the battle against illiteracy and the Church's work for peace and economic development.[1]
Within a year, on 29 June 1967, he entered theRoman Curia as Substitute, or Deputy, of theSecretariat of State. As Cicognani was too old to fulfil most of his duties, they fell to Benelli. He worked closely with his former master, nowPope Paul VI, and remained in this post for ten years.
Some referred to him as "the Berlin Wall"[2] and the "Vatican Kissinger"[3] in theVatican for his aggressive and almostauthoritarian tenure as Substitute of the Secretariat of State, including having the more seniorCurialists channel business through him.
Benelli was promoted toArchbishop of Florence on 3 June 1977, and was createdCardinal-Priest ofSanta Prisca by Paul VI in theconsistory of 27 June 1977.
Upon the deaths of bothPope Paul VI andPope John Paul I, Benelli was considered the leading moderatecandidate to succeed them, because of his close ties with Paul and his Italian heritage. He was one of thecardinal electors in theconclaves ofAugust andOctober 1978. During the August conclave, Benelli supportedAlbino Luciani, the eventual winner, who becamePope John Paul I.[4][5] In the October conclave in 1978, he was one of two leading Italian candidates in a tie withGiuseppe Siri to succeed John Paul I, but was defeated with fellow Italian candidate Siri on 16 October byKarol Wojtyła, who becamePope John Paul II.
Benelli continued in his capacity of Cardinal and Archbishop of Florence until 26 October 1982 when he died[1] of a sudden heart attack inFlorence, at age 61. Hisfuneral Mass was celebrated by Cicognani's successor,Agostino Casaroli, and his remains were buried inSanta Maria del Fiore cathedral.
(1976) Pancorbo, Luis: "Monseñor Benelli" en "Diálogos italianos". pp. 343–353. Sedmay, Madrid.ISBN 84-7380-124-5(in Spanish)
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Substitute for General Affairs 29 June 1967 – 3 June 1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Florence 3 June 1977 – 26 October 1982 | Succeeded by |
