The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-08-04
Friday, Aug. 4, 1861

joyed by a cardinal.
Cardinal Montini said of
Cardinal Tardini that the
policy of the Church, that is
the relations of the Church
with modern nations, found in
him particularly in recent
years, the strongest and most
determined of men,"
I'm MANY INSTANCES his
work was decisive and was d.
rected always toward peace.
For me personally his death
means the loss of a friend,
of a colleague, of a superior
and the loss of a lofty ex-
ample of a good and pro-
foundly Virtuous man." Cardi-
nal Montini said.
,Domenico Tardini was born
in Rome on February %,
1888, and spent most of his
life in his native city. He was
ordained TO the priesthood on
September 20, 1912, and for
nine years thereafter taught
theology at the Roman Semi
nary.
He became associated with
the Secretariat of State in
1921, when he was named a
"minutante' Clerk in the
Congregation for Extraordi-
nary Ecclesiastical Affairs.
The staff of this congregation,
minus its cardinal-members,
also functions as one of the
two main sections of the Sec
retariat of State. The other
major section is that for ordi-
nary affairs.
THE LATTER SECTION
handles the bulk Of admins
tratiVe detail in the Vatican's
dealings with its representa-
tives in various countries. The
Congregation for E%xtraordl-
nary Affairs deals with
Church appointments in those
countries where the Church
has agreed to consult with
civil authorities. 1t also is
concerned with Church affairs
in Iron Curtain countries.
Appointed a papal chamber
lain in 1922, Msgr. Tardini
became undersecretary of the
Congregation for Extraordi.
nary Affairs in 1929 and was
raised to the rank of domestic
prelate in the same year.
In the 1905 he held sew
eral posts which famlliarized
him with the Church through
out the world. In 1882 he was
a member of the papal mis-
sion attending the Eucharistic
Congress in Dublin. The fol-
lowing year he was named to
the Pontifical Commission for
Russia, Of which he later be-
came president. He was nam
ed a consultor to the Sacred
Congregation for the Oriental
Church in 1884.
MSCR. TARDINI WAS nam
ed substitute secretary of
state for ordinary affairs in
1885. He was also appointed
secretary of the Pontiflcal
Commission or the Inter
probation of The Code of the
Canon Law. All the end Of
1897 he became secretary for
extraordinary affairs in the
Secretariat of State and secre-
tary of the Congregation for
Extraordinary Affairs.
Pope Plus XII named Msgr.
Tardini pro-secretary of state
for extraordinary affairs in
1852. AT the same time Cardi-
nal - then Monsignor 49, Mon
TIM was named pro-secretary
for ordinary affairs.
Cardinal Tardini held his
post for the remainder of
Pope Plus reign. After the
Pope's death the Sacred Col
lege of Cardinals named him
regent Of the Secretariat Of
State during the period be-
fore the election of a new
pope.
In November, 1858, Pope
John named him a cardinal
and appointed him secretary
of state. He thus became the
first Vatican secretary of
state since 1914, when Luigi
Cardinal Maglione died. Pope
Plus had not named a success.
sor.
CARDlNA . mi
SOON won new distinction as
secretary of state, His rela-
tons with the press were UNI
usually frank and friendly,
II was at a press conference,
in March, 1860, that he spoke
of his i'll health and his wish
TO retire from his demanding
post.
But he added that the de.
cislon was not his but the
Pope's, and that he would
carry on until the Pope saw
fit TO relieve him of his as
w.uA.~x.t