The funeral of Cardinal Attilio Nicora, President Emeritus of the Administration of the Holy See’s Patrimony (APSA) and of the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority (AIF), who died on April 22, 2017, took place on Monday afternoon, April 24, in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Pope presided over the last farewell.
The funeral rites were celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, at the altar of the Chair of Saint Peter. The Book of the Gospels was placed on the coffin of the deceased Cardinal, as it was for the funeral of St. Pope John Paul II.
In his homily, Cardinal Sodano recalled that Cardinal Nicora’s life was totally consecrated to the service of the Church, stressed Vatican Radio in Italian. At the end of the celebration, Pope Francis presided over the rite of the Ultima Commendatio and of the Valedictio.
In a telegram addressed to the deceased’s family this weekend, the Pope expressed his condolences to the cardinal’s loved ones and to the Church of Milan and rendered homage to the “unique competencies” of Cardinal Attilio Nicora and to his service to the Church. After offering prayers and expressing his closeness to the late cardinal’s loved one’s, the Pontiff entrusted the deceased to the intercession of Mary and of Saint John Paul II “who sent him to govern the diocese of Verona and made him cardinal.”
After Cardinal Attilio Nicora’s death, the College of Cardinals now has 222 members, 117 of whom are electors – younger than 80 – in case of a Conclave.
According to the biography published by the Holy See, Cardinal Attilio Nicora was born in the Archdiocese of Milan, Italy, on March 16, 1937. Ordained priest in 1964, he did his studies in Canon Law in Rome, up to a doctorate, before teaching this discipline in his native diocese.
Pope Paul VI appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milan in 1977. In 1984 he was appointed Co-President of the ecclesiastical side of the Mixed Italo-Vatican Commission charged with elaborating — in the framework of the revision of the Lateran Accords – the reform of the discipline of ecclesiastical goods. Then until 1995 he was Co-President of the Mixed Commission for the implementation of the New Accord signed in 1984. From 1990 to 1992, he was also President of the Episcopal Commission for the Service of Charity and President of Italian Caritas.
On June 30, 1992, John Paul II appointed him to the Episcopal See of Verona, which he left in 1997 to dedicate himself to juridical and canonical questions linked to the Concordat, within the Episcopal Conference. Called to the Roman Curia in 2002 as President of the Administration of the Apostolic See’s Patrimony (APSA), he was made cardinal the following year.
Benedict XVI appointed him Papal Legate for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and of Saint Mary of the Angels at Assisi in 2006. From 2007 to 2013 he was a member of the Cardinals’ Commission of Surveillance of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and from 2011 to 2014, he was President of the Financial Information Authority (AIF)
Cardinal Nicora was the “inventor” of the “eight for a thousand,” amount of tax on revenue that Italians can allocate to the religious confession of their choice.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Telegram: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-sends-telegram-for-death-of-telegram-of-condolence-on-cardinal-attilio-nicora/
