Paolo Bertoli

Paolo Bertoli S.T.D. JUD (1 February 1908 - 8 November 2001) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Paolo Bertoli was born in Poggio Garfagnana, Italy. He was educated at the Seminary of Lucca and later at the Pontifical Roman Seminary in Rome where he earned doctorates in philosophy and theology. He carried on his studies at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum "S. Apollinare" where he earned a doctorate in utroque iure (in both canon and civil law).

Early Priesthood
He was ordained on 15 August 1930 in Lucca. From 1930 until 1933 he studied further. From 1933 until 1938 he served as an attaché of the nunciature in Yugoslavia. He was created Privy chamberlain of His Holiness in 1934. He was an Auditor of the nunciature in France between 1938 and 1942. He was raised to the level of Domestic prelate of His Holiness in 1946. He was the Papal representative to the International Conference to solve the problems caused by the Second World War in Berne, Switzerland, in 1946. He was Chargé d'affaires of the nunciature in Czechoslovakia for 1949 but was unable to hold the post for political reasons.

Episcopate
Pope Pius XII appointed him titular Archbishop of Nicomedia on 24 March 1952. Pope Pius appointed him apostolic delegate in Turkey two days later. He was consecrated on 11 May 1952 by Eugène Tisserant then Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. He was moved to Colombia to serve as Nuncio there on 7 May 1953. He was Nuncio in Lebanon from 1959 until 1960 when he was sent to France. He attended the Second Vatican Council.

Cardinalate
He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Deacon of San Girolamo della Carità in the consistory of 28 April 1969. Pope Paul VI appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 May 1969. He remained as Prefect until he resigned on 1 March 1973. After ten years as a Cardinal-Deacon he opted for the order of Cardinal-Priests and he exchanged his deacony for the title of S. Girolamo degli Schiavoni on 5 March 1973. He took part in the conclaves that elected Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II in August and October. Pope John Paul named him Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal-Bishop of the suburbicarian see of Frascati on 30 June 1979. He resigned the post of Camerlengo on March 25, 1985. He lost the right to participate any further conclaves when turned 80 years of age on February 1, 1988. He died in 2001 in Rome.

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