1. Giovanni Lajolo was born on 3 January 1935 and is an Italian cardinal and former president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and president of the Governatorate of Vatican City State.
22 Facts About Giovanni Lajolo
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Giovanni Lajolo was born on 3 January 1935 in Novara, Italy.
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Giovanni Lajolo studied at the Seminary of Novara, the Pontifical Roman Seminary, and the Pontifical Gregorian University where he earned a licentiate in philosophy in 1955 and a licentiate in theology in 1959.
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Giovanni Lajolo was ordained a priest on 29 April 1960.
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Giovanni Lajolo entered the University of Munich where he studied for a doctorate in canon law which he was awarded in 1965.
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Giovanni Lajolo entered the service of the Secretariat of State in 1970.
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Giovanni Lajolo worked in the nunciature in Germany collaborating with Corrado Bafile, future cardinal, from 1970 to November 1974.
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Giovanni Lajolo was a staff member of the Council for Public Affairs of the Church from November 1974.
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Giovanni Lajolo was named counselor of nunciature on 1 January 1983.
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Giovanni Lajolo closely followed the negotiations that led to the signing, in 1984, of the revision of the concordat between Italy and Holy See.
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On 3 October 1988, Lajolo was appointed Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and Titular Archbishop of Caesariana by Pope John Paul II.
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Giovanni Lajolo received his episcopal consecration on 6 January 1989 from John Paul, with archbishops Edward Idris Cassidy and Jose Tomas Sanchez serving as co-consecrators, in St Peter's Basilica.
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Giovanni Lajolo was named Nuncio to Germany on 7 December 1995, and Secretary for Relations with States on 7 October 2003.
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Giovanni Lajolo served as the Secretary for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State, or foreign minister of the Holy See, from 2003 until his appointment as president in 2006.
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In 2005 Giovanni Lajolo was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
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On 22 June 2006, Giovanni Lajolo was appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State by Pope Benedict XVI.
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Giovanni Lajolo was made Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria Liberatrice a Monte Testaccio in the consistory of 24 November 2007.
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Giovanni Lajolo submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict when he turned 75 in January 2010.
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Giovanni Lajolo's resignation was accepted on 3 September 2011, with Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello appointed as his successor as of 1 October 2011.
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Giovanni Lajolo was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.
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Giovanni Lajolo was made a member of the Congregation for Bishops, Pontifical Council for Culture, and Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See on 12 June 2008.
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Giovanni Lajolo remained as a member of these bodies until his 80th birthday in 2015.