Cardinal Paolo Bertoli, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was born on 1 February 1908 in the archdiocese of Lucca (Italy).

After his studies in theology and utroque iure, he was ordained a priest on 15 August 1930. After serving in nunciatures in Belgrade, Paris, Haiti, and Berne, he was appointed titular Archbishop of Nicomedia in 1952. He was apostolic delegate in Turkey, and in 1953 apostolic nuncio in Colombia. In April 1959 he was nominated nuncio in Lebanon and in April 1960 in France.

He was Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saint from 1969 to 1973 . He was Camerlengo from May 1979 - March 1985.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Paul VI in the Consistory of 26 April 1969, of the deaconary of San Girolamo degli Schiavoni and in 1979 he took possession of the Title of the Surbicarian See of Frascati.

Cardinal Paolo Bertoli died on 8 November 2001.