Giuseppe Bertello (born 1 October 1942) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from October 2011 to October 2021. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1971 to 2011; became an archbishop in 1987; held appointments as Nuncio to several countries, including Rwanda, Mexico, and Italy; and was the Holy See's representative to a number of international organizations.
Early life
Bertello was ordained a priest on 29 June 1966 by Bishop Albino Mensa. He earned a licence in pastoral theology and a doctorate in canon law. He went on to attend the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy where he studied diplomacy.
Diplomatic service
He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1971, and worked until 1973 in the nunciature to the Sudan, which was also the apostolic delegation for the Red Sea region. From 1973 to 1976, he was secretary at the nunciature to Turkey, becoming a Chaplain of His Holiness on 9 February 1976. He was secretary in the nunciature to Venezuela from 1976 to 1981, and served with the rank of auditor in the Office of the Organization of the United Nations in Geneva from 1981 to 1987. In 1987, he headed the delegation of observers of the Holy See to the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries in Pyongyang, North Korea, where he was the first Catholic priest to visit the small Catholic community of that country, isolated since the Korean War.
In 2007, Bertello was awarded the Grand Cross of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle and on 4 October 2008 he was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.[6]
On 15 October 2020, Pope Francis renewed his term on the Council of Cardinal Advisers.[17]
On 8 September 2021, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga to succeed Bertello as President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, effective 1 October 2021, his 79th birthday.[18]
On 4 March 2022, he was elevated to the rank of cardinal priest.[19]
References
^Linden, Ian (2009). "The Church and Genocide". In Baum, Gregory; Wells, Harold (eds.). The Reconciliation of Peoples: Challenge to the Churches. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 53. ISBN9781606088005. Retrieved 30 April 2019.