Alberto Bovone

Alberto Bovone (June 11, 1922 – April 17, 1998) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1995 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1998.

Alberto Bovone was born in Frugarolo, and attended the seminary in Alessandria. Ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1945, he then did pastoral work for a year before continuing his studies from 1946 until 1951 at the University of Turin and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome (where he obtained his doctorate in canon law). Bovone entered the Roman Curia as an official of the Congregation for the Council in October 1951, and was later made Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on May 21, 1973.

Pope John Paul II named him Titular Archbishop of Caesarea in Numidia on April 5, 1984, and Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith three days later, on April 8. Bovone received his episcopal consecration on the following May 12 from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with Bishop Ferdinando Maggioni and Archbishop Luigi Dadaglio serving as co-consecrators. Bovone was the first person ordained as a Bishop by Ratzinger, who would become Pope Benedict XVI.

As Secretary of the Doctrine of the Faith, he was the second-highest official of that dicastery, under Cardinal Ratzinger. In 1987, he helped write the instruction Donum Vitae on the respect for human life.

Bovone was later appointed to head the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints on June 13, 1995. As he had yet to be raised to the College of Cardinals, he only held the title of Pro-Prefect of the congregation, until John Paul II created him Cardinal- Deacon of Ognissanti in Via Appia Nuova in the consistory of February 21, 1998, and Bovone became full Prefect of the Causes of the Saints two days later, on February 23.

The Cardinal died in Rome two months later, at the age of 75. He is buried in his family's plot in Frugarolo.