Tarcisio bertone wikipedia

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Bishop

Consecrated Archbishop of Vercelli on August 1, 1992, by Archbishop Albino Mensa, Bertone served until 1995, revitalizing the diocese through youth programs and pastoral outreach. Retired since 2013, Bertone’s age (90 in 2025) renders him ineligible to vote in the 2025 papal conclave following Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025.

After him are Januarius (272), Pope Agapetus II (900), Pope Agapetus I (490), Pope Benedict V (930), Pope Stephen II (715), and Pope Marcellinus (250).

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He holds a licence in theology with a dissertation on tolerance and religious freedom and a doctorate in canon law.

Tarcisio Bertone

Stored:Tarcisio Bertone

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, born (1934-12-02) December 2, 1934 (age 91), is an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, known for his influential tenure as Secretary of State under Pope Benedict XVI (2006–2013).

His Salesian formation emphasized pastoral care and education, equipping him to teach and administer within the Church. He later pursued advanced studies at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, obtaining a doctorate in canon law with a dissertation on ecclesiastical governance. His family’s faith and his academic aptitude led him to pursue priestly formation, balancing Salesian spirituality with intellectual rigor.

Ordained a priest in 1960 for the Diocese of Vercelli and consecrated a bishop in 1992, he was elevated to cardinal in 2003 by Pope John Paul II. A Salesian priest, Bertone served as Archbishop of Genoa (2002–2006) before becoming the Vatican’s second-highest official, managing diplomatic and administrative affairs during a turbulent period marked by the Vatileaks scandal.

As an emeritus cardinal, he remains a respected figure for his contributions to canon law and Salesian spirituality, with limited symbolic role in the post-Francis Church. Bertone’s early commitment to the Church was evident in his leadership in youth programs, foreshadowing his later pastoral and administrative roles. Before him are Giovanni Battista Re, Nana Mouskouri, Judi Dench, Jane Goodall, Daniel Kahneman, and Shirley MacLaine.

Once a potential papal candidate, Bertone’s retirement and the Vatileaks fallout diminished his influence.

Appointed Archbishop of Genoa in 2002 and cardinal in 2003, Bertone became Secretary of State in 2006, serving as Pope Benedict XVI’s chief collaborator until 2013. He was ordained on 1 July 1960. Tarcisio Bertone is the 476th most popular religious figure (up from 691st in 2024), the 533rd most popular biography from Italy (up from 862nd in 2019) and the 224th most popular Italian Religious Figure.

Tarcisio Bertone is most famous for being the Secretary of State under Pope Benedict XVI.

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES

Among religious figures, Tarcisio Bertone ranks 476 out of 3,187.

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Education

Bertone studied philosophy and theology at the Salesian Theological College in Turin, earning a licentiate in theology. After him are William F. Sharpe, Manuel Noriega, Stjepan Mesić, Sydney Pollack, Vavá, and Roman Herzog.

Others Born in 1934

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In Italy

Among people born in Italy, Tarcisio Bertone ranks 533 out of 5,161.

This period honed his administrative skills, paving the way for his episcopal rise. Since the 1980s, he has served as consultor in several dicasteries of the Roman Curia, especially in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
On 1 August 1991 he was ordained Archbishop of Vercelli.
On 13 June 1995 he was nominated Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, charged by Pope John Paul II with the care of the publication of the third part of the secret of Fatima.
On 10 December 2002 he was nominated Archbishop of Genoa.
On 15 September 2006 he was nominated Secretary of State.
On 4 April 2007 he was nominated Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
On 15 October 2013, the Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Secretary of State, according to canon 354 of the Code of Canon Law.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl.

John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of the Suburbicarian Church of Frascati.

Member of:

Congregations: for the Doctrine of the Faith; for the Clergy; for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments; for the Oriental Churches; for Bishops; for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., Archbishop emeritus of Genoa (Italy), Secretary of State emeritus, Camerlengo emeritus of the Holy Roman Church, was born on 2 December 1934 in Romano Canavese, Italy.

Before him are Pope John III (520), Pope Hilarius (415), Pope Stephen VIII (900), Pope Valentine (780), Pope Miltiades (250), and Alphonsus Liguori (1696). Before him are Hannah, Barabbas, Zacchaeus, Sabbatai Zevi, Alphonsus Liguori, and Eber. His conservative stance, particularly on moral issues, aligned with Benedict XVI’s vision, though it strained relations with some curial factions.

Bertone’s career blends pastoral service, academic work as a canon law professor, and high-level Vatican roles, including Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1995–2002) under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.