Vatican: Cardinal Martino dies, he was born in Salerno 91 years ago

Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, died today in Rome after a long illness. Born in Salerno on November 23, 1932.

Martino was ordained a priest on June 20, 1957 and obtained a degree in Canon Law. He entered the Vatican diplomatic corps in 1962 and served in the Nunciatures of Nicaragua, the Philippines, Lebanon, Canada and Brazil.

Between 1970 and 1975 he served as head of the Section for International Organizations of the Secretariat of State. In 1986 he was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, becoming the third ecclesiastic to hold this high office. In this role, he actively participated in the major international conferences promoted by the UN.

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After sixteen years at the United Nations, John Paul II called him, on 1 October 2002, to lead the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, succeeding illustrious figures such as Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân.

During his mandate, he paid particular attention to the situation in Venezuela and the civil conflict in the Ivory Coast, also speaking out on the tragic situation in the Middle East. On 25 October 2004, under his guidance, the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” was published. In 2005, he promoted an International Congress in the Vatican to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes.

Since October 24, 2009, Martino has been President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. For his commitment to peaceful relations and human and cultural promotion, he has received numerous awards and honorary degrees. He participated in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, and was created Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of October 21, 2003.