Raffaele Farina

{{Short description|Italian cardinal}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = cardinal | honorific-prefix = His Eminence | name = Raffaele Farina | honorific-suffix = [[Salesians of Don Bosco|SDB]] | title = Archivist Emeritus of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]] | image = CardFarina.gif | image_size = 210px | alt = | caption = Cardinal Farina | church = | archdiocese = | province = | metropolis = | diocese = | see = | elected = | appointed = 25 June 2007 | term = | term_start = | quashed = | term_end = 9 June 2012 | predecessor = [[Jean-Louis Tauran]] | opposed = | successor = | other_post = {{unbulleted list|Cardinal-Priest of S. Giovanni della Pigna "[[pro hac vice]]"|[[Vatican Library|Librarian of the Vatican Library]]}}  | ordination = 1 July 1958 | ordained_by = [[Michele Alberto Arduino]] | consecration = 16 December 2006 | consecrated_by = [[Tarcisio Bertone]] | cardinal = 24 November 2007 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Benedict XVI]] | rank = Cardinal-Deacon (2007-18)<br>Cardinal-Priest (from 2018)  | birth_name = Raffaele Farina | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|09|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Buonalbergo]], Italy | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | nationality = Italian | religion = Roman Catholic | residence = | parents = | previous_post = {{unbulleted list|Prefect of the [[Vatican Library]] (1997–2007)|Titular Bishop of Opitergium (2006–2007)}} | alma_mater = | motto = Dominus spes nostra | signature = | signature_alt = | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Raffaele Farina.svg | coat_of_arms_alt =  | feast_day = | venerated = | saint_title = | beatified_date = | beatified_place = | beatified_by = | canonized_date = | canonized_place = | canonized_by = | attributes = | patronage = | shrine = | suppressed_date =  | other = }} {{Infobox cardinal styles | cardinal name = Raffaele Farina | dipstyle = His Eminence | image = Coat of arms of Raffaele Farina.svg | image_size = 200px | offstyle = Your Eminence | see = }} '''Raffaele Farina''' [[Salesians of Don Bosco|SDB]] (born 24 September 1933) is an Italian [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal of the Catholic Church]]. He was Archivist of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]], Librarian of the [[Vatican Library]], and president (''Consiglio di Presidenza'') of Scuola Vaticana di Paleografia, Diplomatica e Archivistica.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://asv.vatican.va/en/scuol/1_directors.htm |title=asv.vatican.va |access-date=20 March 2009 |archive-date=19 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319115040/http://asv.vatican.va/en/scuol/1_directors.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Farina was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.

==Early life== Born in [[Buonalbergo]], Farina entered the [[Salesians of Don Bosco]], more commonly known as the Salesians, at the novitiate of Portici Bellavista at the age of sixteen. He professed his simple (temporary) vows on 25 September 1949, and made his [[Religious vows|perpetual vows]] on 25 September 1954; one of his sisters is also a Salesian. Farina began his studies in [[theology]] at the [[Salesian Pontifical University|Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum]] of [[Turin]] in 1954 as well, obtaining his [[Licentiate in Theology|licentiate in theology]] from the Athenaeum in 1958. He was [[Holy orders|ordained]] to the [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priesthood]] by Bishop Michele Alberto Arduino SDB, on 1 July 1958.

Farina later studied [[History of Christianity|ecclesiastical history]] at the [[Pontifical Gregorian University]] in Rome, and received his doctorate in 1965. For the following three years, he worked on his specialization at the [[Alexander von Humboldt Foundation|German Foundation "Humboldt"]] in [[Freiburg]] and [[Bonn]].

From 1968 to 1972, he was professor of the history of the Church (covering the origin to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD) and of [[Methodology]] in the Theological [[Faculty (university)|Faculty]] of the Pontifical Salesian University; he then served as [[Dean (education)|dean]] of the same faculty until 1974, and was [[Rector (academia)|rector]] of the university for two terms (1977–1983, 1992–1997). Farina was named ''regolatore'' of the XXI general chapter of his congregation in 1978.

==Curial appointments==

From 1982 to 1986, he was Secretary of the [[Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences]], and was made [[Undersecretary]] of [[Pontifical Council for Culture]] within the [[Roman Curia]] in 1986. Named [[Prefect]] of the [[Vatican Library]] by [[Pope John Paul II]] on 25 May 1997, he was the second-highest official in that office, successively under Cardinals [[Luigi Poggi]] and [[Jean-Louis Tauran]].

On 15 November 2006, Farina was appointed [[Titular bishop|Titular Bishop]] of [[Opitergium]] by [[Pope Benedict XVI]]. He received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal consecration]] on the following 16 December from three cardinals, fellow Salesian [[Tarcisio Bertone]] as principal consecrator, with [[James Stafford]] and Jean-Louis Tauran as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]], in [[St. Peter's Basilica]]. Farina was later named [[Archivist]] of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]] and Librarian of the [[Vatican Library]] on 25 June 2007, replacing Cardinal Tauran, who was made President of the [[Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue]]. On the same date, he was given the rank of [[Archbishop]].

Pope Benedict created him [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal-Deacon]] of [[Church of San Giovanni della Pigna|San Giovanni della Pigna]] in the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] of 24 November 2007.

On 12 June 2008, in addition to his main duties, he was appointed by Benedict as a member of congregations in the [[Roman Curia]] [http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/22278.php?index=22278&lang=en]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. These are: the [[Congregation for the Causes of Saints]], [[Congregation for Catholic Education]] and the [[Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church]].

On 9 June 2012, he retired from posts of [[Archivist]] of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]] and Librarian of the [[Vatican Library]].

Cardinal Farina currently sits on the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]], and is also fluent in German, Spanish, Japanese, and French.

In August 2010, Farina said that [[Pope John Paul II]] declined then-[[Pope Benedict XVI|Cardinal Ratzinger's]] request to spend his last years as the archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church. Farina recalled when he was appointed prefect of the Vatican Library in May 1997, having a brief meeting with Ratzinger in which he was asked his opinion of Ratzinger joining the team. Ratzinger asked the Pope if he could step down from his role when he turned 70 on 16 April 1997. "He was asking me what I thought of his idea and what being archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church involved", said Farina.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100810231505/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/the-pope/7928493/Pope-Benedict-wanted-to-be-a-librarian.html Pope Benedict wanted to be a librarian]</ref>

He was one of the [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2013|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[Papal conclave, 2013|2013 papal conclave]] that elected [[Pope Francis]].

In June 2013 [[Pope Francis]] by [[chirograph]] named Cardinal Farina president of the five member [[Pontifical Commission]] investigating the [[Institute for the Works of Religion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/06/26/pope_sets_up_pontifical_commission_to_study_ior_reform/en1-704987|title=Vatican Radio}}</ref> The other members are, Cardinal Tauran, [[Peter Brian Wells]], Bishop [[Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru]] who will act as Coordinator and [[Mary Ann Glendon]].

==Honours== * [[File:JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 2Class BAR.svg|55px|ribbon bar]] [[Order of the Rising Sun|Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star]] (2019)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{commonscat}}

* {{cite web| access-date = 3 December 2017| title= Farina Card. Raffaele, S.D.B. |publisher= [[Holy See Press Office]] | url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_farina_r.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 19 September 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160919135525/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_farina_r.html }} * [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfarin.html Catholic-Hierarchy] * [http://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2007.htm#Farina Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091214071619/http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=263 Catholic-pages]}} {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=Giuseppe G. Gamba SDB}} {{s-ttl|title=Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the [[Salesian Pontifical University]]|years=1973–1975}} {{s-aft|after=Mario Midali SDB}} |- {{s-bef|before=Pietro Braido SDB}} {{s-ttl|title=Rector of the [[Salesian Pontifical University]]|years=1977–1983}} {{s-aft|after=Roberto Giannatelli SDB}} |- {{s-bef|before=Amato Frutaz}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences|years=1982–1986}} {{s-aft|after=Vittorino Grossi OSA}} |- {{s-new}} {{s-ttl|title=Undersecretary of the [[Pontifical Council for Culture]]|years=1986–1991}} {{s-aft|after=Bernard Ardura OPraem}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Angelo Amato]] SDB}} {{s-ttl|title=Rector of the [[Salesian Pontifical University]]|years=1991–1997}} {{s-aft|after=Michele Pellerey}} |- {{s-bef|before=Leonard Eugene Boyle}} {{s-ttl|title=Prefect of the [[Vatican Library]]|years=1997–2007}} {{s-aft|after=Cesare Pasini}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Jean-Louis Tauran]]|rows=2}} {{s-ttl|title=Archivist of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]]|years=2007–2012}} {{s-aft|after=[[Jean-Louis Bruguès]]|rows=2}} |- {{s-ttl|title=[[Vatican Library|Librarian of the Holy Roman Church]]|years=2007–2012}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Francis Arinze]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Cardinal-Deacon]] of San Giovanni della Pigna|years=2007–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farina, Raffaele}} [[Category:1933 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Italian archivists]] [[Category:21st-century Italian cardinals]] [[Category:21st-century Italian Roman Catholic titular archbishops]] [[Category:People from the Province of Benevento]] [[Category:Salesian cardinals]] [[Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI]] [[Category:Members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints]] [[Category:Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education]] [[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class]] [[Category:Italian librarians]] [[Category:Prefects of the Vatican Apostolic Archive]]