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CASORIA Card. Giuseppe

CASORIA Card. Giuseppe

Cardinal Giuseppe Casoria, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, was born on 1 October 1908 in Acerra, province of Naples, Italy. After spending his childhood in his native city, he attended the course in sacred theology at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, the Pontifical Campano Seminary run by the Jesuits in Posillipo.
In 1930 he received a degree in sacred theology and was ordained a priest on 21 December 1930.
In 1932 he earned a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Lateran University, and a degree, in Utroque Iure, from the Pontifical Juridical Institute of S. Apollinaris in Rome.
In 1937, he was called to Rome as an official of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments where in each of the responsibilities that were progressively entrusted to him - right up to the highest position of directive responsibility: under-secretary (1959), secretary (1969), archbishop pro-prefect (1981) and then cardinal prefect (1983).
In 1934, he received a diploma in canonical administrative practice in the Studium of the Sacred Congregation of the Council (now known as the Congregation for the Clergy), the diploma as advocate of the Sacred Roman Rota and the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (1938) and a degree in political sciences (1953) from the State University of Rome.
Already defender of the bond in the Sacred Roman Rota since 1939, in the Ecclesiastical tribunal of the conciliar region of Campania since 1941, and advocate of the Sacred Congregation of Rites for the Causes of Saints since 1949, he was promoted in 1956 to judge of the Tribunal of Appeals of the Vicariate of Rome and prelate referendario of the Apostolic Signatura, the defender of the bond and commissioner for marriage cases at the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches in 1957.
Two years later he was appointed consultor of the same dicastery and then in 1961 also of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, and in 1962, voting prelate of the Apostolic Signatura. The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, later called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had him as a commissioner for marriage cases (1954), qualificatore (1964), peritus and judge (1966).
During the Second Vatican Council, he offered his work as a peritus of the preparatory commission for the discipline of the sacraments and subsequently of scrutator and peritus of the Council.
On 6 January 1972, appointed titular bishop of Vescovio and ordained on 13th February. On 26 February 1973, nominated secretary for the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On 25 August 1981 nominated pro-prefect of Sacred Congregation for Sacraments and Divine Worship and then prefect, following promotion to Cardinal in 1983.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of 2 February 1983, of the Title of S. Giuseppe in Via Trionfale (St. Joseph in via Trionfale), deaconry elevated pro illa vice to presbyteral title.

Cardinal Giuseppe Casoria died on 8 February 2001.