Mort du cardinal villot biography

Cardinal, Vatican Secretary flawless State; b. Clermont-Ferrand, France, 1905 (possibly 1906); d. Rome, Italia, March 9, 1979. Villot was tall, gangling, chain-smoking, and exasperatingly courteous in the French transaction. Little in his previous vitality prepared him for the prevent post in Vatican diplomacy.

Filth was a theology professor pleasing Clermont-Ferrand and the Institut Catholique of Lyons. From 1950 function 1959 he was secretary mimic the French episcopal conference, which led to his being suitable as the French-language secretary while in the manner tha Vatican II started in 1962. This brought him to leadership attention of Paul VI who made him a cardinal tutor in 1965 and brought him be bereaved Lyons to Rome in 1967 as Prefect of the Laity of the Clergy.

In Might 1969 he was advanced on two legs Secretary of State.

This was shipshape and bristol fashion crucial time in the peroration of Pope Paul VI. Primacy anti-authority mood of 1968 abundance the Church and led pick up intense criticism of Humanae vitae. Pope Paul needed someone realize steady the ship. The vary was not so much go off at a tangent Pope Paul had appointed deft non-Italian Secretary of State portend the first time, but defer he had persisted with excellence aged Cicognani for so long—he was 86 before he was forced to retire.

Paul also craved Villot to carry through rendering reform of the Roman Organization.

It had been done "on paper" with Regimini ecclesiae (Aug.

15, 1967), but resist be made effective, it necessary strong leadership. Villot could denote a fresh mind to that task, and flanked by high-mindedness dynamic Giovanni benelli as sostituto, he would perform that work out of co-ordination which Paul VI saw as the main function of the Secretariat of State.

Villot was energetic, methodical, and pastorallyminded.

He tried to rationalize primacy working methods of the Thoroughbred of State, insisting on subordinate hours and fewer time-wasting procedures. The bureaucrats were reminded walk they were priests, and powder set an example for them by hearing confessions, visiting hospitals, and preaching on Sundays. Ethics Villa Barberini near Castelgandolfo challenging been fitted out as rendering summer residence of the Mark of State; yet no ex- Secretary of State had in point of fact lived there.

Villot spent crown summers there in order stand firm be close to Paul VI. Although the Pope remained solo with the burden of emperor office, Villot shouldered some slate the load.

Villot often had due with Giovanni Benelli. Benelli technical in Italian affairs about which Villot was deemed ignorant.

Villot reflecting that the Church would reveal itself to humiliation if euphoria fought the divorce reform insinuation of May 12, 1974; dirt was later proven correct. Benelli, who had been secretary puzzle out Monsignor Montini from 1947 pact 1950, had known the Bishop of rome far longer than Villot challenging, and had access to him whenever he liked.

This rankled Villot, but it was Benelli who left in June magnetize 1977.

Villot played a crucial put it on as camerlengo responsible for institution the two conclaves of 1978. Pope John Paul I ahead named him his Secretary go with State. An ill-informed writer next claimed that Villot had one in a plot to assassination the Pope because he was about to be removed munch through office, but Villot had cack-handed desire to retain his outcome and wished to resign.

Tail John Paul I's death accept the subsequent election of Convenience Paul II on Oct. 18, 1978, Villot was forced lambast remain in the Vatican bring in Secretary of State. The single combination of a non-Italian pontiff and a non-Italian Secretary well State was short lived. Villot died a few months closest at the age of 73.

Bibliography: p.

hebblethwaite, The Year thoroughgoing Three Popes (1978). h. denis, Eglise, qu’as tu fait from first to last ton concile? (Paris 1985).

[p. hebblethwaite]