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Cardinal Angelo Sodano
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By Catholic Online
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State, Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals, was born on 23 November 1927 in Isola d'Asti, Italy. He is the second out of 6 children. Having studied philosophy and theology at the seminary of Asti, he then obtained a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University.
He was ordained a priest on 23 September 1950 and dedicated his first years to teaching dogmatic theology at the diocesan seminary and to the youth apostolate.
In 1959, he joined the Holy See's Diplomatic Corps and after having attended the Pontifical Ecclesiatical Academy, he served in Ecuador, Uruguay and Chile, as Secretary of the Nunciature. In 1968 he was called to Rome to serve in the then Council for Public Affairs of the Church. During this period, as a member of the Holy See's missions, he visited Romania, Hungary and East Germany.
On 30 November 1977 he was named titular Archbishop of Nova di Cesare and Apostolic Nuncio in Chile. He was ordained on 15 January 1978.
In Chile, he worked for 10 years visiting nearly every diocese and cooperating also in the happy conclusion of the pontifical mediation between Chile and Argentina, for the peaceful solution to the controversy over the sovereignty of the 2 States in some zones of the austral territory.
On 28 May 1988 John Paul II called him to serve as Secretary of the then Council for Public Affairs of the Church. On 1 March 1989, with the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus becoming effective, he then assumed the title of Secretary for the Relationship with States.
He has even dedicated particular attention to the Pontifical Commission for Russia, of which he was President.
He has represented the Holy See in various international reunions, especially at the meetings of Foreign Ministers of the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) held in Vienna, Copenhagen, New York and Paris.
On 1 December 1990, he was called to serve as Pro-Secretary of State.
On 29 June 1991, he was named Secretary of State.
Elected Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals on 30 November 2002.
Curial membership:
Doctrine of the Faith, Bishops, Oriental Churches (congregations)
Vatican City State, Institute for Works of Religion (commissions)
Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of 28 June 1991, of the Title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano (retaining in commendam Title of Santa Maria Nova, 10 January 1994).
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