# Fernando Cento

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Cardinal of the Catholic Church

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His Eminence Fernando Cento Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary Fernando Cento in Lisbon, 1958 Church Roman Catholic Church Appointed 12 February 1962 Term ended 7 April 1967 Predecessor Arcadio Larraona Saralegui Successor Giuseppe Antonio Ferretto Other post Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri (1965–73) Previous posts Bishop of Acireale (1922–26) Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela (1926–36) Titular Archbishop of Seleucia Pieria (1926–59) Apostolic Nuncio to Peru (1936–46) Apostolic Internuncio to Luxembourg (1946–50) Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium (1946–53) Apostolic Nuncio to Luxembourg (1950–53) Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal (1953–58) Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Eustachio "pro hac vice" (1959–65) Orders Ordination 23 December 1905 Consecration 3 September 1922 by Giovanni Tacci Porcelli Created cardinal 15 December 1958 by Pope John XXIII Rank Cardinal-Priest (1959–65) Cardinal-Bishop (1965–73) Personal details Born Fernando Cento (1883-08-10)10 August 1883 Pollenza, Kingdom of Italy Died 13 January 1973(1973-01-13) (aged 89) Rome, Italy Alma mater Pontifical Gregorian University La Sapienza University Motto Impendam et super impendar

Styles of Fernando Cento Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Informal style Cardinal See Velletri-Segni (suburbicarian see)

**Fernando Cento** (10 August 1883 – 13 January 1973) was a [cardinal of the Catholic Church](/source/Cardinal_(Catholic_Church)) who served as [Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary](/source/Apostolic_Penitentiary).

## Early life

Fernando Cento was born in [Pollenza](/source/Pollenza), Italy. His parents were Evaristo Cento and his second wife, Ermelinda Andreani. He had a half-sister, Rosa, and a brother, Vincenzo.

He was educated at the [Seminary](/source/Seminary) of [Macerata](/source/Macerata) from 1893 to 1905, where he was taught philosophy and [theology](/source/Theology), and later at the [Pontifical Gregorian University](/source/Pontifical_Gregorian_University), where he studied [canon law](/source/Canon_law). He continued his studies at [La Sapienza University](/source/La_Sapienza_University), Rome where he obtained a doctorate in letters. He received the [diaconate](/source/Diaconate) on 17 December 1905 in the basilica of the Madonna della Misericordia.

## Priest

He was ordained on 23 December 1905 in [Macerata](/source/Macerata); he had to obtain a dispensation for being not yet 23. He served as professor of literature at the Seminary of Macerata and of philosophy at the State Institute of Macerata from 1906 to 1916. He demonstrated excellent qualities as a preacher in several Italian dioceses. He was called to military service when Italy entered the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) in 1915 and was attached to the military hospital of [Ancona](/source/Ancona) from 1915 to 1917. He was created [Privy chamberlain of His Holiness](/source/Monsignor) on 15 November 1917.

## Bishop and nuncio

He was appointed [Bishop of Acireale](/source/Bishop_of_Acireale) by [Pope Pius XI](/source/Pope_Pius_XI) on 22 July 1922. He was consecrated on 3 September 1922, by Cardinal [Giovanni Tacci Porcelli](/source/Giovanni_Tacci_Porcelli), Secretary of the [Congregation for the Oriental Church](/source/Congregation_for_the_Oriental_Churches), assisted by Domenico Pasi, [Bishop of Macerata-Tolentino](/source/Bishop_of_Macerata-Tolentino), and by Placido Ferniani, [Bishop of Ruvo e Bitonto](/source/Bishop_of_Ruvo_e_Bitonto).

He was promoted to [Titular Archbishop](/source/Titular_Archbishop) of Seleucia Pieria on 24 June 1926 and was appointed [Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela](/source/Apostolic_Nuncio_to_Venezuela) four days later. He was next named [Apostolic Nuncio to Peru](/source/Apostolic_Nuncio_to_Peru) on 26 July 1936. In addition, he was responsible for the affairs of the church in [Ecuador](/source/Ecuador), which did not have diplomatic relations with the [Holy See](/source/Holy_See) for nearly forty years. He was named nuncio to Ecuador on 25 July 1937 once the Ecuadorian government and the Holy See established diplomatic relations.

He was appointed [nuncio to Belgium](/source/Apostolic_Nunciature_to_Belgium) and Internuncio to [Luxembourg](/source/Luxembourg) on 9 March 1946.[1]

He became Nuncio to Portugal on 26 October 1953.

## Cardinal

[Pope John XXIII](/source/Pope_John_XXIII), on 15 December 1958, created him Cardinal-Priest of [Sant'Eustachio](/source/Sant'Eustachio) as his titular church on 12 March 1959. He was appointed as [Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary](/source/Apostolic_Penitentiary) on 12 February 1962. He attended the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council), for which he led the commission which produced the *[Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity](/source/Decree_on_the_Apostolate_of_the_Laity)*.[2] He also produced a report on the practice of [indulgences](/source/Indulgences) which was not favorably received by many at the council.[3] He participated in the [conclave of 1963](/source/Papal_conclave%2C_1963) that elected [Pope Paul VI](/source/Pope_Paul_VI). He was named a Cardinal bishop and given the title of the [suburbicarian see](/source/Suburbicarian_see) of [Velletri](/source/Velletri) on 23 April 1965. He resigned his post of Major Penitentiary in 1967.

He died on 13 January 1973 in Rome. He was buried in the parish church of S. Antonio, Pollenza, where he had celebrated his first mass.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [*Acta Apostolicae Sedis*](https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-38-1946-ocr.pdf) (PDF). Vol. XXXVIII. 1946. p. 164. Retrieved 15 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lemos, A., [The Nature and Role of Lay People in the Church and in the World According to the Decree *Apostolicam Actuositatem*](https://www.proquest.com/openview/e99cfcf2283a070cbee05363eb51f9e1/1), page 6, Lisbon: *[Universidade Católica Portuguesa](/source/Universidade_Cat%C3%B3lica_Portuguesa)*, published in 2014, accessed on 27 April 2026

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** O'Malley, John (2008). *What Happened at Vatican II*. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University. p. 280. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-674-03169-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-03169-2).

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Arcadio Larraona Saralegui Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary 12 February 1962 – 7 April 1967 Succeeded by Giuseppe Ferretto Preceded by Clemente Micara Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni 23 April 1965 – 13 January 1973 Succeeded by Ildebrando Antoniutti

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