Attilio Nicora (16 March 1937 – 22 April 2017) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who held senior positions in the administration of the Roman Curia as president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See from 2002 to 2011 and president of the four-person Executive Board of the Financial Information Authority (FIA) from 2011 to 2014. He was bishop of Verona from 1992 to 1997. He was given the personal title of archbishop in 2002 and was made a cardinal in 2003.
Biography
Nicora was born in Varese, Italy, and ordained a priest in 1964. Prior to being ordained, he had earned a license in Canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome as well as a license in theology from the Theological Faculty in Milan. After his ordination, he became a professor of canon law at the Theological Seminary of Venegano.
Nicora became a bishop in 1977, when he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Milan and titular bishop of Furnos Minor. Nicora oversaw the 1984 revision of the concordat, between Italy and the Holy See. From 1992 to 1997, he served as bishop of Verona. In 2002, Nicora became President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, where his responsibility was administering the Vatican's income from properties. This position is comparable to that of a chief financial officer in a corporation. Upon the death of a Pope all major Vatican officials automatically lose their positions during a sede vacante, and so Nicora lost his position on 2 April 2005 due to the death of Pope John Paul II but later was confirmed to office by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 April.
