Pope Francis pays tribute to late Cardinal Sebastiani
By Alessandro di Bussolo
A "zealous priest" in the archdiocese of Fermo, a Cardinal "who generously spent his life in the service of the Gospel" and of the Holy See, and finally a "good and vigilant servant" of the Lord.
That's how Pope Francis described the late Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, president emeritus of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, in a telegram to his family. He passed away this morning at 3am in Rome, in his home. Ninety-two years old, he had been ill for some time.
The Cardinal, who had received his red hat from Saint John Paul II in 2001, was born on 11 April 1931 in central Italy, to Angelo and Lucia Valeri.
His funeral will be celebrated on Wednesday, 17 January at 2.30 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica.
Pope Francis: An important role in diplomacy
In his telegram, the Pope gives thanks to God "for the testimony of the deceased cardinal", who he says served the Gospel "alongside so many of my predecessors".
Pontiffs such as St Paul VI and St John Paul II "entrusted him with important responsibilities in Vatican diplomacy".
In his role as first secretary general of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, Pope Francis recalls, "he dedicated himself especially to the preparatory phase outlined by Pope John Paul II in the apostolic letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente".
Beginnings of his career
Sebastiani entered the minor seminary in 1940, and was ordained a priest in 1956.
Having completed his studies, he began his service in the Holy See’s diplomatic service.
In 1960, he was appointed Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature of Peru, and in 1962 he was transferred to Brazil and in 1966 to Chile.
The return to Rome, in the Secretariat of State
In 1967, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, Monsignor Giovanni Benelli, called him to serve in Rome as secretary to Cardinals Cicognani and Villot, Pope Paul VI's Secretaries of State.
In 1974, he was appointed advisor to the Apostolic Nunciature in Paris. He also had special assignments at the Council of Europe.
On 27 September 1976, he was appointed Archbishop and made Pro-Nuncio in Madagascar and Mauritius, as well as Apostolic Delegate for La Réunion and the Comoros Islands.
At the same time he was charged by the Holy See with the establishment of a pastoral zone in the Indian Ocean, which was later erected as the Indian Ocean Episcopal Conference.
From Turkey to the Jubilee
On 8 January 1985, St John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey. He promoted friendly relations with the local Orthodox Churches, in particular with the Patriarch of Constantinople, and also initiated inter-religious dialogue with both the Jewish and Muslim communities.
On 16 November 1994, the Pope called him to Rome to be the first Secretary General of the Presidential Council and the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee Year 2000.
During his three years in the office, he took particular care of the preparatory phase outlined by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente.
On 3 November 1997, St John Paul II appointed him President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, a post he held until 12 April 2008. He participated in the conclave of April 2005 that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
Funeral on Wednesday 17 January at 2.30 p.m
The funeral of Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani will be celebrated on Wednesday 17 January 2024, at 2.30 p.m., at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter's Basilica, and presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinals, archbishops and bishops present in Rome will concelebrate.
At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, Pope Francis will preside over the rite of the Ultima Commendatio and Valedictio.
With the death of the Italian cardinal, the College of Cardinals now counts 239 members, 132 electors and 107 non-electors.
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