Gilberto Agustoni

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His Eminence

Gilberto Agustoni
Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy (1986–1992)
  • Pro-Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1992–1994)
  • Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta (1994–2005)
    • Mottochristus spes gloriae
    Coat of armsGilberto Agustoni's coat of arms
    Styles of
    Gilberto Agustoni
    Reference style
    		His Eminence
    Spoken styleYour Eminence
    Informal styleCardinal

    Gilberto Agustoni (26 July 1922 – 13 January 2017) was a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church. He worked in the Roman Curia from 1950 to 1998, ending his career as head of the Apostolic Signatura from 1992 to 1998. He became a Cardinal in 1994.

    Early life

    Agustoni was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and had four brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers were also priests. Their mother came from a village on the shores of Lake Constance and their father was a civil servant. He was educated at the Seminary of Lugano. He studied in Rome for a year, earning a degree in philosophy. Because of World War II, he continued his studies at the University of Fribourg, where he completed a degree in sacred theology.[1] Bishop Angelo Jelmini ordained him in Lugano on 20 April 1946.[2][3]

    Agustoni later studied at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum and the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he earned licentiates in theology and law.

    Roman Curia appointments

    In 1950, Cardinal

    Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments. Following the Second Vatican Council he helped to coordinate the curial departments engaged in Pope Paul VI's program of liturgical renewal. In May 1970, he became a Prelate Auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.[1]

    On 18 December 1986

    Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta
    on 26 November 1994.

    He resigned his post on 5 October 1998. In early 2005, he took the option, open to Cardinal-Deacons after ten years, of becoming a

    Cardinal-Priest. Agustoni died on 13 January 2017 aged 94.[2][3]

    Ottaviani Intervention

    He was secretary to Ottaviani at the time of the Ottaviani Intervention. Jean Madiran, a critic of the reforms of Vatican II[4] and founder-editor of the French journal Itinéraires, claimed that this letter was fraudulently presented to the elderly and already blind cardinal for his signature by his secretary Agustoni, and that Agustoni resigned shortly afterwards.[5] No confirmation of this story by the cardinal himself was published. Agustoni resigned as Ottaviani's secretary in 1970 to join the Ecclesiastical Magistrature as Prelate Auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota and there is no evidence to suggest his departure was anything more than a routine change of assignment.[6] Furthermore, Madiran admits that he was not in the room to see this alleged deception of Ottaviani.[7]

    References

    1. ^ a b "Agustoni Card. Gilberto". Holy See. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
    2. ^ a b "Décès du cardinal Gilberto Agustoni" [Death of cardinal Gilberto Agustoni]. Conférence des Évêques Suisse (Press release) (in French). 14 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
    3. ^ a b Ardengo, Michele (13 January 2017). "Lutto in Vaticano, è morto il cardinale Gilberto Agustoni". Il Giornale (in Italian). Retrieved 13 January 2017.
    4. ^ Je suis un témoin à charge contre mon temps
    5. ^ The Ottaviani Intervention – Part I[permanent dead link], by Michael Davies
    6. ^ Cardinals of the Catholic Church
    7. ^ The Ottaviani Intervention – Part 1[permanent dead link], by Michael Davies

    External links

    Catholic Church titles
    Preceded by Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
    2 April 1992 – 5 October 1998     		Succeeded by
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