Francesco Carpino

Biography

He was born in Palazzolo Acreide, Sicily, Italy as the third of five children of Salvatore Carpino, who was the owner of a small rural estate. He was educated at the Seminary of Noto from 1914 to 1919. He continued to 1926 his studies at the Pontifical Roman Seminary in Rome, where he earned doctorates in philosophy and theology and a licentiate in canon law. He returned to his diocese in 1926 and became professor in the local seminary, until he reached the canonical age for the priestly ordination. He received the diaconate on 29 June 1927, and was ordained on 14 August 1927.

Priesthood

After his ordination he worked in pastoral ministry in the diocese of Noto and as a faculty member of its seminary from 1927 until 1929. He was appointed that same year professor of sacramental theology at the Pontifical Lateran Athenaeum, where he remained until 1951. During his time in Rome he worked in pastoral ministry as well as with several congregations of the Roman Curia. He was created Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness on 27 April 1939.

Episcopate

Pope Pius XII appointed him titular archbishop of Nicomedia and coadjutor bishop of Monreale on 11 February 1951. He succeeded to the metropolitan see of Monreale on 23 August of that year. In 1961 he was named Titular Archbishop of Sardica and appointed Secretary of the Sacred College of Cardinals on 25 October 1961, thus he served as secretary of the 1963 papal conclave. He was a counselor of the Pontifical Preparatory Commission of the Second Vatican Council from 1961 until 1964. He attended the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI appointed him Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on 7 April 1967.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana (a deaconry elevated pro hac vice to title) in the consistory of 26 June 1967 by Pope Paul VI. That same day he was appointed Archbishop of Palermo. He resigned the government of the archdiocese, in 1970. He explained that an archdiocese with many difficult pastoral problems needed a young archbishop to prepare programs for the long term. He was named Cardinal Bishop of the title of the suburbicarian see of Albano on 27 January 1978. He took part in the conclaves that elected Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II in August and October. He lost the right to participate any future conclaves when turned 80 years of age in 1985.

He died on 5 October 1993 in Rome. His funeral mass, presided over by Pope John Paul II, and concelebrated by thirty cardinals and numerous archbishops and bishops, took place in the patriarchal Vatican basilica at 5:30 pm on 7 October 1993. The cardinal's body was flown to Monreale on 8 October and transferred to Palermo, where another funeral took place in that cathedral celebrated by Salvatore Cassisa, archbishop of Monreale, and Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo, archbishop of Palermo, and almost all the bishops of Sicily. After the funeral in Palermo, the body was taken to Palazzolo Acreide and a requiem mass was celebrated in the church of San Paolo by Giuseppe Costanzo, archbishop of Siracusa, before the burial in the tomb of his family. On 14 September 1998, the remains were transferred to the metropolitan cathedral of Palermo.