His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, was born in Schiavon, Italy, on January 17, 1955.  At the age of 14, he entered the seminary of Vicenza and was ordained a priest on April 27, 1980.

In 1983, he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1986, subsequently serving in Nigeria and Mexico.  In 1986, he also obtained a degree in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Since 2000 he has worked with then Bishop Attilio Nicora on the matters pertaining to the implementation of the revision of the Lateran Concordat of 1984, with particular reference to the military ordinariate. On November 30, 2002, he was appointed Undersecretary of the Section of the Secretariat of State for Relations with States.

Particularly expert in matters concerning the Middle East, and more generally in those regarding the geopolitical situation of the Asian continent, he has worked specifically to build up and reinforce relations between the Holy See and Vietnam. He also contributed to reopening dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, convinced of the need for a shared effort to “create the conditions for a true and just peace” in the Middle East. In December 2008, he led the delegation that took part in the work of the Permanent Bilateral Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel. On several occasions he has acted as spokesman for the Apostolic See, expressing its wish to work with international organizations to safeguard the basic rights of the person, including religious freedom.

On August 17, 2009, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela and was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop with the titular Episcopal See of Acquapendente. He received his episcopal ordination on September 12, 2009. On August 31, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Secretary of State. and he entered into office on October 15, 2013.

Cardinal Parolin is a member of the Council of Cardinals established to advise Pope Francis in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, ‘Pastor Bonus’. He was proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of February 22, 2014, of the Title of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela (Sts. Simon and Jude Thaddeus at Torre Angela). On June 26th, 2018, with Rescriptum ex Audentia Ss.mi, the Holy Father Francis appointed Cardinal Pietro Parolin to the Order of Bishops, equating him in all respects to the Cardinals who were given the Title of a suburbicarian Church.