Lorenzo Antonetti

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Lorenzo Cardinal Antonetti (born 31 July 1922 in Romagnano Sesia, Italy) is a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.

He is the President Emeritus of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See within the Roman Curia. Pope John Paul II created him Cardinal deacon of Saint Agnes in Agone. He has spent much of his life as a diplomat for the church, first to Lebanon and Venezuela then to France and the United States, all of which were before his elevation to archbishop.

Styles of
Lorenzo Cardinal Antonetti
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Rusellae (titular)


On the 26 May 1945 at 22 he was ordained priest in Novara, Italy followed by becoming the titular archbishop of Rusellae on 23 February 1968, aged 45. During his life he has served as Apostolic Nuncio to Honduras (appointed 23 February 1968) and Nicaragua (appointed 24 February 1968) which he remained for five years. He was then appointed as Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) on 29 June 1973 where he remained until he became the Official of State, Roman Curia (appointed 15 June 1977). Finally, he served as the Apostolic Nuncio to France to which he was appointed on 23 September 1988 and where he remained until 1995. In 1995 Pope John Paul II gave him the position of pro-President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Roman Curia, losing the "pro-" upon elevation to cardinal. On March 1, 2008 Antonetti was elevated to Cardinal-Priest. His titular deaconry Sant'Agnese in Agone was elevated pro hac vice to title.

The Daily Catholic describes him as being not papabile due to both "his age and his lack of pastoral work, having been in the administrative and diplomatic corps his entire clerical life."

Preceded by
Jose Tomas Cardinal Sanchez
President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
24 June 19955 November 1998
Succeeded by
Agostino Cardinal Cacciavillan

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