# Alberto Bovone

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Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal (1922–1998)

His Eminence Alberto Bovone Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints Church Roman Catholic Church Appointed 13 June 1995 Term ended 17 April 1998 Predecessor Angelo Felici Successor José Saraiva Martins Other post Cardinal-Deacon of Ognissanti in Via Appia Nuova (1998) Previous posts Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1973-1984) Titular Archbishop of Cesarea in Numidia (1984-1998) Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1984-1995) Orders Ordination 26 May 1945 by Giuseppe Angrisani Consecration 12 May 1984 by Joseph Alois Ratzinger Created cardinal 21 February 1998 by Pope John Paul II Rank Cardinal-Deacon Personal details Born Alberto Bovone 11 June 1922 Frugarolo, Kingdom of Italy Died 17 April 1998(1998-04-17) (aged 75) Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic, Rome, Italy Alma mater Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas Motto Fidelis et prudens ("Faithful and prudent") Coat of arms

Styles of Alberto Bovone Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Informal style Cardinal See none

**Alberto Bovone** (11 June 1922 – 17 April 1998) was an Italian [Cardinal](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) of the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church). He served as [Prefect](/source/Prefect) of the [Congregation for the Causes of Saints](/source/Congregation_for_the_Causes_of_Saints) from 1995 until his death. Pope John Paul II elevated Bovone to the [cardinalate](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) in 1998, shortly before his death in the same year.[1]

Alberto Bovone was born in [Frugarolo](/source/Frugarolo), and attended the [seminary](/source/Seminary) in [Alessandria](/source/Alessandria). [Ordained](/source/Holy_Orders) to the [priesthood](/source/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church)) on 26 May 1945, he then did [pastoral](/source/Parish_(Catholic_Church)) work for a year before continuing his studies from 1946 until 1951 at the [University of Turin](/source/University_of_Turin) and the [Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)](/source/Pontifical_University_of_St._Thomas_Aquinas_(Angelicum)) in [Rome](/source/Rome) (where he obtained his [doctorate in canon law](/source/Doctor_of_Canon_Law)). Bovone entered the [Roman Curia](/source/Roman_Curia) as an official of the [Congregation for the Council](/source/Congregation_for_the_Clergy) in October 1951, and was later made [Undersecretary](/source/Undersecretary) of the [Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith](/source/Congregation_for_the_Doctrine_of_the_Faith) on 21 May 1973.

[Pope John Paul II](/source/Pope_John_Paul_II) named him [Titular Archbishop](/source/Titular_bishop) of *[Caesarea in Numidia](/source/Cherchell)* on 5 April 1984 and [Secretary](/source/Secretary) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith three days later, on 8 April. Bovone received his [episcopal consecration](/source/Bishop_(Catholic_Church)) on the following 12 May from [Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger](/source/Pope_Benedict_XVI), with Bishop [Ferdinando Maggioni](/source/Ferdinando_Maggioni) and Archbishop [Luigi Dadaglio](/source/Luigi_Dadaglio) serving as [co-consecrators](/source/Consecrator). Bovone was the first person ordained as a Bishop by Ratzinger, who would later become [Pope Benedict XVI](/source/Pope_Benedict_XVI).

As Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he was the second-highest official of that [dicastery](/source/Dicastery), under Ratzinger. In 1987, he helped write the instruction [Donum vitae](/source/Donum_vitae) on the respect for human life.[2] In 1986 he issued, with Ratzinger, a letter to all bishops "on the pastoral care of homosexual persons" that was hostile to gay "inclinations" (which it said were a "strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil") and relationships, calling them "fundamentally disordered" as they were "unable to transmit life"; this stridently recalcitrant position was (albeit much later, in 2021) moderated somewhat by further guidance[3] from the same congregation during the papacy of [Pope Francis](/source/Pope_Francis).

Bovone was later appointed to head the [Congregation for the Causes of the Saints](/source/Congregation_for_the_Causes_of_the_Saints) on 13 June 1995. As he had yet to be raised to the [College of Cardinals](/source/College_of_Cardinals), he only held the title of Pro-Prefect of the congregation, until John Paul II created him [Cardinal-Deacon](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) of *[Ognissanti in Via Appia Nuova](/source/List_of_titular_churches_in_Rome)* in the [consistory](/source/Papal_consistory) of 21 February 1998, and Bovone became full Prefect of the Causes of the Saints two days later, on 23 February.[4]

The Cardinal died in Rome two months later, at the age of 75. He is buried in his family's plot in [Frugarolo](/source/Frugarolo).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** III, Harris M. Lentz (2015-07-11). [*Popes and Cardinals of the 20th Century: A Biographical Dictionary*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ongwCgAAQBAJ). McFarland. p. 29. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4766-2155-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4766-2155-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Reese, Thomas J. (1992). [*A Flock of Shepherds: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops*](https://books.google.com/books?id=QNFIv2Hm2mYC). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 262. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-55612-557-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55612-557-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex"](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/15/210315b.html). *press.vatican.va*. Retrieved 2026-03-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Alberto Bovone, Italian Cardinal, 75"](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/22/world/alberto-bovone-italian-cardinal-75.html). *The New York Times*. Associated Press. 1998-04-22. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2023-12-04.

## External links

- [Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church](https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios-b.htm#Bovone)

- [Catholic-Hierarchy](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbovone.html)

- [John Paul II's Homily at Cardinal Bovone's Funeral Mass](https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1998/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19980420_cardeal-bovone_en.html)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Jean Jérôme Hamer Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 5 April 1984 – 13 June 1995 Succeeded by Tarcisio Bertone Preceded by Angelo Felici Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 13 June 1995 – 17 April 1998 Succeeded by José Saraiva Martins

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alberto Bovone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Bovone) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Bovone?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.