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Leonardo Sandri

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His Eminence

Leonardo Sandri
Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 11 October 2014
Appointed9 June 2007
Term ended21 November 2022
PredecessorIgnatius Daoud
SuccessorClaudio Gugerotti
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination2 December 1967
byJuan Carlos Aramburu
Consecration11 October 1997
byAngelo Sodano
Created cardinal24 November 2007
byPope Benedict XVI
Rank
Personal details
Born(1943-11-18)18 November 1943(age 80)
Buenos Aires,Argentina
DenominationRoman Catholic
MottoIlle fidelis
(He remains faithful;2 Timothy 2:13)
Coat of armsLeonardo Sandri's coat of arms

Leonardo Sandri(born 18 November 1943) is an Argentine prelate of the Catholic Church who has been acardinalsince November 2007 and vice dean of theCollege of Cardinalssince January 2020. He was prefect of theCongregation for the Eastern Churchesfrom 2007 to 2022. He served in the diplomatic service of theHoly Seefrom 1974 to 1991 in several overseas assignments, including as permanent observer of the Holy See before the Organization of American States from 1989 to 1991, and in Rome as Substitute for General Affairs in theSecretariat of Statefrom 1999 to 2007.

Biography

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Early life and career

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Sandri was born inBuenos Airesto Antonio Enrico Sandri and Nella Righi, who had emigrated toArgentinafromAla,a village inTrentinoin Italy.[1]He studiedhumanities,philosophy andtheologyat theMetropolitan Seminaryof Buenos Aires, and earned aLicentiate in Theologyfrom thePontifical Catholic University of Argentina.On 2 December 1967 he wasordainedto the priesthood by ArchbishopJuan Carlos Aramburuand became his secretary.[2]

He also served as curate of Nuestra Señora del Carmen inVilla Urquizauntil 1970. He then studied at thePontifical Gregorian University,where he obtained adoctorate in canon law,and thePontifical Latin American College.In 1971, he entered thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy,which trainspapal diplomats.[3]

Diplomat and curial official

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In 1974, Sandri became an official of theApostolic Nunciaturein Madagascar andMauritius,which also serves as theApostolic Delegationin the islands ofComorosandRéunionin the Indian Ocean.[1][2]He then served in theVatican Secretariat of State,as secretary of theSubstitute for General Affairs,including future cardinalsEduardo Martinez SomaloandEdward Cassidyfrom 1977 to 1989; and in theApostolic Nunciature in the United Statesaspermanent observerof theHoly Seebefore theOrganization of American States,from 1989 to 1991.[2]

He became regent of thePrefecture of the Pontifical Householdon 22 August 1991[4]and assessor of the Section for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State on 2 April 1992.[5]

On 22 July 1997, Sandri was appointedApostolic Nuncio to VenezuelaandTitular ArchbishopofAemonabyPope John Paul II.[6]He received hisepiscopal consecrationon the following 11 October from CardinalAngelo Sodano,with Cardinal Aramburu and ArchbishopGiovanni Battista Reserving asco-consecrators,atSt. Peter's Basilica.He selected as his episcopalmotto:"Ille Fidelis",meaning, "He (Christ) remains faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). He was the first Argentinian to hold the title of Apostolic Nuncio.[7]After two years inVenezuela,he was namedApostolic Nuncio to Mexicoon 1 March 2000.[8]During his brief tenure there he was tasked with restraining the Mexican bishops from intervening in political affairs.[2]

Coat of arms of Cardinal Sandri

On 16 September 2000, he was named Substitute for General Affairs,[9]a key position within theRoman Curia,serving essentially as thechief of staffof the Secretariat of State.[10]

As Pope John Paul's health declined, Sandri would read aloud the texts that the Pope could not deliver himself. On the evening of 2 April 2005 he announced the Pope's death fromSaint Peter's Square,saying "We all feel like orphans this evening."[11][12]

Theodore McCarrick controversy

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On 11 October 2006, while still serving in his sensitive position in the Vatican Secretariat of State, Sandri sent a letter to FatherBoniface Ramsey,a New York City pastor who was a seminary professor from 1986 to 1996. Sandri did not mention McCarrick, but referred to "the serious matters involving some of the students of theImmaculate Conception Seminary,which in November 2000 you were good enough to bring confidentially to the attention of the then Apostolic Nuncio in the United States, the late ArchbishopGabriel Montalvo."[13][14]Ramsey's 2000 letter was about complaints of sexual abuse of seminarians on the part of CardinalTheodore McCarrickwhen he was Archbishop of Newark (1986–2000). Ramsey made Sandri's letter public on 7 September 2018 to document that his letter to Montalvo had reached Rome and that the highest levels of the Vatican have long been aware of his charges against McCarrick.[13]By then McCarrick had resigned from the College of Cardinals, but he still faced a Church trial. In February 2019, the same month McCarrick waslaicizedby the Vatican, an image of Sandri's 2006 letter was published by the media; it accompanied aCommonwealarticle that Ramsey wrote.[15]On 5 February 2020, journalistThomas J. Reesecited the Sandri-Ramsey correspondence in calling for a full review of the Secretariat's files as part of the Vatican investigation into McCarrick and in order to determine who in the Vatican's highest levels knew what about the charges against McCarrick.[16]

Congregation for the Oriental Churches

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On 9 June 2007, Sandri was appointedprefectof theCongregation for the Oriental ChurchesbyPope Benedict XVI.[4]SucceedingIgnatius I Daoud,he headed thecurial congregationthat handles matters regarding theEastern Catholic Churchesand became theex officioGrand Chancellorof thePontifical Oriental Institute.Pope Francis confirmed that appointment on 19 February 2014.[17]

Sandri visited theHoly Landin February 2008.[18]In April 2009, he lamented the emigration of Christians from that region: "Thislack of peacemakes Christians emigrate and leave their land behind. So we're left with a purely geological, physical presence of Jesus, and not with the presence of those that grew with him and lived his faith, and that continue to follow him today like disciples of his very homeland. "[19]In 2014 he called for an end to the forced removal of Christians from Iraq and Syria, saying that more than 100,000 Christians had left their homes in Iraq and "now wander to the city of Erbil in impossible conditions".[20]

One analysis of the delay in thecanonization processfor John Paul II pointed to, among other things, Sandri's apparent reluctance to testify in the effort.[21]

In November 2014 the Vatican lifted its 1929 ban on the ordination of married men to the priesthood by Eastern Catholic churches outside their traditional territories, including in the United States, Canada and Australia. Sandri signed the decree on 14 June 2014.[22][23]

Cardinal

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Styles of
Leonardo Sandri
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Benedict XVI created himCardinal-DeaconofSan Carlo ai Catinariin theconsistoryof 24 November 2007.[24][25][26]He delivered the message of thanksgiving to the pope on behalf of the new cardinals on that occasion.[27]

In April 2008, Sandri said that although the regime ofSaddam Husseinwas dictatorial, it is undeniable that Iraqi clergy and laity felt more secure under his regime and that their liturgical life went on undisturbed.[28]

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 2008

He was mentioned in the press aspapabile,a possible candidate for election to the papacy at the time of theresignation of Pope Benedict XVIin 2013.[29][30][31][32]

Sandri is also a member of theCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue,Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts,Pontifical Commission for Latin AmericaandPontifical Commission for Vatican City State.[1]On 2 March 2010 he was appointed a member of theCongregation for Bishops.[33]On 31 May 2011 he was appointed a member of theApostolic Signatura.[34]On 12 June 2012 Cardinal Sandri was appointed a member of theCongregation for Catholic Education.[35]

Sandri, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, was named byPope Benedict XVIas one of four co-presidents of the Special Synod of Bishops for the Middle East held at the Vatican in October 2010.[36]He speaks English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.[2]

In June 2005 Archbishop Sandri was awarded Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic.[37]

He opted for the order of Cardinal Priests on 19 May 2018.[1]Pope Francis raised him to the rank of Cardinal Bishop effective 28 June 2018.[38]On 24 January 2020, Pope Francis approved his election as Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals by the nine Latin-rite cardinal-bishops.[39][40]With that title, as the highest-ranking cardinal eligible to participate in a conclave, he would preside over any conclave held before his 80th birthday.[41]

Pope Francis named ArchbishopClaudio Gugerottito succeed him as prefect on 21 November 2022.[42]

References

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  1. ^abcd"Sandri Card. Leonardo"(in Italian).Holy See Press Office.16 December 2011.Retrieved1 August2021.
  2. ^abcde"Leonardo Sandri, fidèle de Jean-Paul II".La Croix(in French). 10 March 2013.Retrieved13 August2019.
  3. ^"Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999"(in Italian).Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.Retrieved13 August2019.
  4. ^ab"Rinunce e nomine, 09.06.2007"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 9 June 2007.Retrieved12 August2019.
  5. ^Acta Apostolicae Sedis(PDF).Vol. LXXXIV. 1992. p. 471.Retrieved6 May2020.
  6. ^Acta Apostolicae Sedis(PDF).Vol. LXXXIX. 1997. p. 598.Retrieved6 May2020.
  7. ^"Mons. Sandri es el primer nuncio papal argentino".La Nación(in Spanish). 23 July 1997.Retrieved13 August2019.
  8. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 03.01.2000"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 1 March 2000.Retrieved12 August2019.
  9. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 16.09.2000"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 16 September 2000.Retrieved12 August2019.
  10. ^O'Connell, Gerard (11 June 2007)."Key Vatican appointment signals that Benedict's chosen team fully in place".UCA News.Archived fromthe originalon 19 September 2010.Retrieved12 July2009.
  11. ^"Pope John Paul II dies in Vatican".BBC.3 April 2005.
  12. ^"World Mourns Passing of Pope John Paul II".Fox News.3 April 2005.
  13. ^abDuncan, Robert; Esteves, Junno Arocho (7 September 2018)."Letter confirms Vatican officials knew of McCarrick allegations in 2000".Catholic News Service. Archived fromthe originalon 7 September 2018.Retrieved19 April2020.
  14. ^Harris, Elise (4 October 2018)."Argentinian prelate allegedly acknowledged McCarrick's misconduct".Crux.Retrieved6 May2020.
  15. ^Ramsey, Boniface (16 February 2019)."The Case of Theodore McCarrick: A Failure of Fraternal Correction".Commonweal.Retrieved6 May2020.
  16. ^Reese, Thomas J. (5 February 2020)."Who knew what about former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick?".America.Retrieved19 April2020.
  17. ^"Pope Confirms Cardinal Sandri as Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches".Zenit.Retrieved13 August2019.
  18. ^"Vatican Prelate Visiting Eastern Catholics in Holy Land".Catholic World News.27 February 2008.Retrieved13 August2019.
  19. ^"Vatican asks for help in stopping exodus of Christians from Holy Land".Rome Reports.8 April 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 15 July 2011.Retrieved12 July2009.
  20. ^"Cardinal Sandri: These Are Acts Against God, Against All Humanity".Zenit. 8 August 2014.Retrieved13 August2019.
  21. ^Roberts, Tom (3 June 2009)."What's behind delay in JPII canonization?".National Catholic Reporter.Retrieved26 February2020.
  22. ^Ieraci, Laura (17 November 2014)."Vatican lifts ban on married priests for Eastern Catholics in diaspora".National Catholic Reporter.Catholic News Service.Retrieved25 August2017.
  23. ^Smith, Peter Jesserer (7 January 2015)."Eastern-Catholic Married Priesthood Authorized in North America".National Catholic Register.Retrieved13 August2019.
  24. ^"Titular Churches of the new Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church".Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations.24 November 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2016.Retrieved16 February2018.
  25. ^"Pope Names 23 New Cardinals".Zenit.17 October 2007.Retrieved13 August2019.
  26. ^Allen Jr., John L. (17 October 2007)."Complete List of New Cardinals".National Catholic Reporter.Retrieved13 August2019.
  27. ^"Indirizzo di Omaggio del Card. Leonardo Sandri".Holy See Press Office(in Italian). 24 November 2007.Retrieved1 August2021.
  28. ^"Christians are in danger of disappearing from Iraq".30 Days(Interview). 1 April 2008.Retrieved28 June2018.
  29. ^"Pope: Runners and riders".BBC News.8 March 2013.Retrieved13 August2019.
  30. ^"El argentino que puede ser Papa: la increíble historia de Leonardo Sandri".Tandil Diario(in Spanish). 28 February 2012.Retrieved13 August2019.
  31. ^Allen Jr., John L. (20 February 2013)."Papabile of the Day: The Men Who Could Be Pope".National Catholic Reporter.Retrieved13 August2019.
  32. ^O'Regan, Mary (9 March 2013)."The men who could be pope: Cardinal Leonardo Sandri".Catholic Herald.Retrieved13 August2019.
  33. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 02.03.2010"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 2 March 2010.Retrieved13 August2019.
  34. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 31.05.2011"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 31 May 2011.Retrieved12 August2019.
  35. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 12.06.2012"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 12 June 2012.Retrieved12 August2019.
  36. ^"Special Assembly for the Middle East - The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness (10-24 October 2010)".General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.Retrieved13 August2019.
  37. ^"Sandri S.E.R. Mons. Leonardo".Presidenza della Repubblica(in Italian). 13 June 2005.Retrieved13 August2019.
  38. ^"Rescriptum ex Audientia Ss.mi"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 26 June 2018.Retrieved28 June2018.
  39. ^"Rinunce e Nomine, 25.01.2020"(Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 25 January 2020.Retrieved25 January2020.
  40. ^Mares, Courtney (25 January 2020)."Cardinal Re elected new dean of the College of Cardinals".Catholic News Agency.Retrieved25 January2020.
  41. ^Lamb, Christopher (27 January 2020)."Re rises as cardinals' new dean".The Tablet.Retrieved26 March2020.
  42. ^"Rinunce e nomine (continuazione), 21.11.2022"(Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 21 November 2022.Retrieved22 November2022.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Assessor for General Affairs
2 April 1992 – 22 July 1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nunico to Venezuela
22 July 1997 – 1 March 2000 		Succeeded by
André Dupuy
Preceded by
Justo Mullor García
 Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico
1 March 2000 – 16 September 2000 		Succeeded by
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Regent of the Papal Household
22 August 1991 – 2 April 1992 		Succeeded by
Paolo De Nicolò
Preceded by
Maximino Romero de Lema
 — TITULAR —
Titular Archbishop of Novigrad
22 July 1997 – 24 November 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Substitute for General Affairs
16 September 2000 – 1 July 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
1 July 2007 – 21 November 2022 		Succeeded by
Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Oriental Institute
1 July 2007 – 21 November 2022
Preceded by Cardinal Deacon of Santi Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari
24 November 2007 – 19 May 2018 		Himself as Cardinal Priest
Himself as Cardinal Deacon Cardinal Priest 'pro hac vice' of Santi Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari
19 May 2018 – 28 June 2018 		Himself as Cardinal Bishop
Himself as Cardinal Priest Cardinal Bishop of Santi Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari
28 June 2018 – 		Incumbent
Preceded by Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals
18 January 2020 –
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonardo_Sandri&oldid=1243527130"