{{Short description|Italian Catholic prelate and spymaster (1917–2010)}} {{about||the Italian sailor|Luigi Poggi (sailor)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific_prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Luigi Poggi | image = Luigi Poggi 1981.png | caption = Poggi in Rome, 1981 | title = {{ubl | [[Catholic Cardinal|Cardinal]] | Archivist of the [[Vatican Secret Archive]]}} | church = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] | appointed = 29 November 1994 | term_end = 7 March 1998 | predecessor = [[Antonio María Javierre Ortas]] | successor = [[Jorge María Mejía]] | other_post = {{ubil | [[San Lorenzo in Lucina|Cardinal-Priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina]] (2005{{nbnd}}2010)}} | ordination = 28 July 1940 | consecration = 9 May 1965 | consecrated_by = [[Amleto Giovanni Cicognani]] | cardinal = 26 November 1994 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope John Paul II]] | rank = {{ubil | [[Cardinal-deacon]] (1994{{nbnd}}2005) | [[Cardinal-priest]] (2005{{nbnd}}2010) }} | birth_name = Luigi Poggi | birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|11|25|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Piacenza]], [[Kingdom of Italy]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|05|04|1917|11|25|df=yes}} | death_place = Rome | buried = [[Sant'Antonino, Piacenza|Basilica di Sant'Antonino]], [[Piacenza]], Italy | previous_post = {{ubil | [[Apostolic Nunciature to the Central African Republic|Apostolic Delegate to Central Africa]] (1965{{nbnd}}1969) | [[Forontoniana|Titular Archbishop of Forontoniana]] (1965{{nbnd}}1994) | [[Apostolic Nunciature to Cameroon|Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Cameroon]] (1966{{nbnd}}1969) | [[Apostolic Nunciature to Gabon|Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Gabon]] (1967{{nbnd}}1969) | [[Apostolic Nunciature to the Central African Republic|Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the Central African Republic]] (1967{{nbnd}}1969) | [[Apostolic Nuncio to Peru]] (1969{{nbnd}}1973) | [[Apostolic Nuncio to Poland|Delegation Chief to Poland]] (1975{{nbnd}}1986) | [[Apostolic Nuncio to Italy|Apostolic Nuncio to Italy]] (1986{{nbnd}}1992) | Librarian of the [[Vatican Apostolic Library]] (1992{{nbnd}}1994) | Archivist Emeritus of the [[Vatican Secret Archive]] (1994{{nbnd}}2010) | [[Santa Maria in Domnica|Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Domnica]] (1994{{nbnd}}2005) | [[Cardinal Protodeacon]] (2002{{nbnd}}2005) }} | education = {{ubil | [[Collegio Alberoni]] | [[Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy]]}} | motto = {{langnf|la|In fide et caritate|In faith and love|break=yes}} | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Luigi Poggi.svg }}
'''Luigi Poggi''' (25 November 1917 – 4 May 2010) was an Italian [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[prelate]], [[nuncio]], and [[spymaster]] who led [[The Entity (intelligence service)|The Entity]], the [[Intelligence agency|foreign intelligence service]] of the [[Holy See]].
Made [[titular bishop]] of [[Forontoniana]] in 1965 upon assignment as nuncio, Poggi officially served as papal representative to several African nations before being reassigned to Europe to advance [[Pope Paul VI|Paul VI]]'s ''[[Ostpolitik]]'' policy of [[rapprochement]] to the [[Eastern Bloc]]. At the height of the [[Cold War]] he served as the Vatican's principal emissary to several [[Warsaw Pact]] countries, as Popes [[Pope Paul VI|Paul VI]] and [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] sought renewed engagement with the [[Soviet Union]]. Named chief of the [[Apostolic Nunciature to Poland|apostolic delegation to Poland]] during the 1980s, he led a partnership with the U.S. [[Central Intelligence Agency]] to back the [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity movement]] which eventually led to the [[History of Poland (1945–1989)#Final decade of the Polish People's Republic (1980–1989)|end of Communist rule]] in the country. Poggi was elevated to [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]] in 1994 and ended his career in [[Rome]], as [[nuncio]] to Italy and finally as head of the [[Vatican Library]] and [[Vatican Secret Archive|Secret Archive]].
==Early life== Born in Piacenza, Poggi studied at [[Collegio Alberoni]] prior to priestly ordination in that city. He entered the [[Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy]] in 1944 to begin a career in the diplomatic service of the [[Holy See]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy]]|language =it|access-date = 24 November 2019 | title = Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1900 – 1949 |url = https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdeccles/documents/1900-1949.htm }}</ref> Poggi then joined the [[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Secretariat of State]]. Poggi headed a mission to investigate the legal status of [[titular see|titular churches]] in [[Tunisia]] in 1963 and 1964.
==Papal nuncio== On 3 April 1965, [[Pope Paul VI]] named him a titular archbishop and [[Apostolic Delegate]] to Central Africa,<ref>{{cite book | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 24 November 2019 | pages= 541, 550 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-57-1965-ocr.pdf | date= 1965 | volume= LVII }}</ref> the region that later became the modern states of [[Cameroon]], Chad, [[Republic of the Congo|Congo-Brazzaville]], Gabon, and the [[Central African Republic]]. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal [[Amleto Cicognani]] on 9 May 1965.<ref>{{cite news | language= es | access-date = 24 November 2019 | title= Cardenal Luigi Poggi | work = ACI Prensa | url = https://www.aciprensa.com/Cardenales/biografias/poggi }}</ref> As the Vatican established relationships with governments in the region, he was given additional titles: [[Apostolic Nunciature to Cameroon|Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Cameroon]] on 31 October 1966<ref>{{cite book | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 24 November 2019 | page= 105 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-59-1967-ocr.pdf | date= 1967 | volume= LIX }}</ref> Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Gabon on 31 October 1967,<ref name=aas1967/> and Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the Central African Republic on 4 November 1967.<ref name=aas1967>{{cite book | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 24 November 2019 | page= 59 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-60-1968-ocr.pdf | date= 1968 | volume= LX }}</ref>
On 21 May 1969, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to Peru.<ref>{{cite book | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 24 November 2019 | page= 352 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-61-1969-ocr.pdf | date= 1969 | volume= LXI }}</ref>
===Ostpolitik=== [[Pope Paul VI]] used Poggi in his "[[Ostpolitik]]", which aimed to improve Vatican relations with the Communist-ruled nations of the [[Warsaw Pact]]. On 1 August 1973, Pope Paul assigned him a special role as a nuncio responsible for improving relations with Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Rumania and Bulgaria. Early in the pontificate of [[Pope John Paul II]], Poggi, an expert in Polish politics, was sent first to [[Warsaw]] and then to [[Moscow]]. He later visited [[Prague]].
On 7 February 1975, Pope Paul named him to lead a special delegation to Poland.
== Director of The Entity == Poggi served as director of [[The Entity (intelligence service)|The Entity]] ([[Italian language|Italian]]: {{Native name|it|L’Entità|paren=omit}}), the foreign [[Intelligence agency|intelligence service]] of the Holy See.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Colonna Vilasi |first=Antonella |author-link=Antonella Colonna Vilasi |title=The Entity: The Vatican Intelligence Service |publisher= |year=2016 |isbn=9781524661694 |location=}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Frattini |first=Eric |title=The Entity: Five Centuries of Secret Vatican Espionage |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-312-37594-2 |language=en |translator-last=Cluster |translator-first=Dick}}</ref> {{Expand section|date=December 2024}} ==Later years and death== Poggi's final assignment in the diplomatic service was as Apostolic Nuncio to Italy on 19 April 1986.<ref>{{cite book |access-date = 25 November 2019 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-78-1986-ocr.pdf | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | page= 480 | date= 1986 | volume = LXXVIII }}</ref>
In 1992, Poggi became Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, positions he resigned as required when he turned eighty.
He was made [[Cardinal-Deacon]] of [[Santa Maria in Domnica]] on 26 November 1994. On 26 February 2002 he became Cardinal [[Protodeacon]], the most senior cardinal of the rank deacon, a role with ceremonial duties during a papal conclave and inauguration. After ten years as a cardinal deacon he took the option to be elevated to [[Cardinal-Priest]] of [[San Lorenzo in Lucina]] on 24 February 2005, just weeks before the death of Pope John Paul.
Poggi died in Rome on 4 May 2010. His funeral was presided over by Dean of the College of Cardinals [[Angelo Sodano]], with a homily by [[Pope Benedict XVI]], whose letter to Poggi's surviving family spoke of the prelate's "many years of solicitous collaboration with the Holy See."<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 24 November 2019 | work = Zenit | date= 10 May 2010 | url = https://zenit.org/articles/pontiff-at-cardinal-s-funeral-new-life-starts-now/ | title = Pontiff at Cardinal's Funeral: New Life Starts Now }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1994.htm#Poggi Biography] * [https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_poggi_l_en.html Vatican biography]
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box | before=[[Romolo Carboni]] | title=[[Holy See–Italy relations|Apostolic Nuncio to Italy and San Marino]]| after=[[Carlo Furno]] | years=19 April 1986 – 9 April 1992}} {{succession box | before=[[Antonio María Javierre Ortas]] | title=Librarian of the Holy Roman Church | years=9 April 1992 – 7 March 1998 | after=[[Jorge María Mejía]]}} {{succession box | before=[[Antonio María Javierre Ortas]] | title=Archivist of the Holy Roman Church | years=9 April 1992 – 7 March 1998| after=[[Jorge María Mejía]]}} {{succession box | title=[[Protodeacon|Cardinal Protodeacon]] | before=[[Pio Laghi]] | after=[[Jorge Medina Estévez]] | years=26 February 2002 – 24 February 2005}} {{s-end}}
{{Cardinals created by John Paul II}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poggi, Luigi Cardinal}} [[Category:1917 births]] [[Category:2010 deaths]] [[Category:Religious leaders from Piacenza]] [[Category:Participants in the Second Vatican Council]] [[Category:21st-century Italian cardinals]] [[Category:Protodeacons]] [[Category:Apostolic nuncios to San Marino]] [[Category:20th-century Italian Roman Catholic titular archbishops]] [[Category:Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy alumni]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II]] [[Category:Apostolic nuncios to Poland]] [[Category:Apostolic nuncios to Italy]] [[Category:Apostolic nuncios to the Central African Republic]] [[Category:20th-century Italian cardinals]]