Gustavo Testa

Gustavo Testa (July 28, 1886 – February 28, 1969) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches from 1967 to 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1959.

Biography
Born to a wealthy family in Boltiere, Bergamo, Gustavo Testa attended the Pontifical Lateran University, Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare, and Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on October 28, 1910, and finished his studies in 1912. After a period of pastoral work in Bergamo and teaching at its seminary, Testa entered the Roman Curia, in the Secretariat of State, in 1920. He then served as Secretary of the nunciature to Austria until 1923. Testa was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness on October 28, 1921, and later Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on May 18, 1923. He was also named auditor for the Bavarian nuniciature in 1927 before becoming counselor of the nunciature to Italy in 1929.

On June 4, 1934, Testa was appointed Titular Archbishop of Amasea and Apostolic Delegate to Egypt, Arabia, Eritrea, Abyssinia, and Palestine. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 1 from Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster, OSB, with Bishops Adriano Bernareggi and Angelo Roncalli serving as co-consecrators. Testa was later named the first Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem, Palestine, Transjordania, and Cyprus on February 11, 1948, and Nuncio to Switzerland on March 6, 1953.

Pope John XXIII created him Cardinal Priest of San Girolamo dei Croati in the consistory of December 14, 1959. On October 4, 1961, Testa was made Pro-President of the Cardinalitial Commission for the Special Administration of Holy See. The Cardinal was appointed Secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches on August 2, 1962, and his position was renamed as Prefect of the same dicastery on August 15, 1967. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council. Testa was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1963 papal conclave that selected Cardinal Montini as Pope Paul VI; during the conclave, Testa lost his temper and demanded that the deadlock be dissolved by allowing Montini's election. He resigned as Prefect of Oriental Churches on January 13, 1968, and then as Pro-President of the Special Administration of Holy See on May 7, 1968.

Testa died in Rome at age 82, and is buried in Bergamo.

Trivia

 * Testa had been a close friend of Pope John XXIII, also from Bergamo, since they were schoolmates in Rome.