Michele Giordano (26 September 1930 – 2 December 2010) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate, who was the

Archbishop of Naples The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples ( la, Archidioecesis Neapolitana) is a Roman Catholic archdioceses in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese of Naples was r ...

and a

cardinal-priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Biography

Giordano was born at

Sant'Arcangelo Sant'Arcangelo is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , ...

, in

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

. He was educated at the Minor Seminary in Potenza and later at the Pontifical Regional Seminary, Salerno and finally at the Pontifical Inter-regional Seminary, Posillipo. He was ordained to the priesthood on 5 July 1953. He served from 1953 to 1971 successively in the diocese of Anglona-Tursi as pastor; director of the center for social studies; diocesan assistant of the Catholic Action; professor of religion; vicar general. He was created

Chaplain of His Holiness A Chaplain of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges with respect to ecclesiastical dress and vestments.Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

named him as the

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Lari Castello and the Auxiliary Bishop of

Matera Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comple ...

, and, in 1974, as the Archbishop of Matera; it was eventually renamed as the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina ( la, Archidioecesis Materanensis-Montis Pelusii) in Basilicata, Italy, has existed under this name since 1986. The archbishop is seated at Matera Cathedral. (Irsina Cathedral is a co-cathedral). ...

. He obtained the title of Metropolitan Archbishop of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples ( it, Arcidiocesi di Napoli; la, Archidioecesis Neapolitana) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christians, Christian community was founded there in the 1st cent ...

in 1987. The following year

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

created him

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

San Gioacchino ai Prati di Castello San Gioacchino ai Prati Castello ("St Joachim's at the Fields of the Castle") is a church in Rome dedicated to Saint Joachim, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus. Construction began in 1891 and the building was opened to the public in 1898. It was ...

. He retired in May 2006, and was succeeded by Cardinal

Crescenzio Sepe Crescenzio Sepe (born 2 June 1943) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Naples from 2006 to 2020. He served in the Roman Curia as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2001 to 200 ...

. Cardinal Giordano was admitted to the Monaldi Hospital in Naples with respiratory problems and died a week later on 2 December 2010, at age 80. In the papal telegram of condolence sent on 3 December 2010 to Cardinal Sepe,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

offered prayers for the repose of his soul and the Apostolic Blessing to all those in mourning, stating that he learned of the prelate's death "with great sadness."

References

. 1930 births 2010 deaths People from the Province of Potenza 20th-century Italian cardinals Archbishops of Naples Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops {{Italy-RC-cardinal-stub