Sergio Guerri

Sergio Guerri (25 December 1905 – 15 March 1992) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as personal theologian to five popes from 1955 to 1989, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969. Biography Guerri was born in Tarquinia, and studied at the inter-diocesan Seminary of Montefiascone, Seminary of Viterbo, Pontifical Roman Seminary, Pontifical Lateran University, and the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare. Ordained to the priesthood on 30 March 1929, he finished his studies in 1931, when he began pastoral work in Tarquinia. Guerri then served as Administrator of the Pontifical Urbaniana University from 1937 to 1941. He was raised to the rank of a Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness on 11 April 1940, and later a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness 19 June 1949. He was also an official (1941–1946) and substitute secretary (1946–1948) of the Institute for Works of Religion in the Roman Curia. On 9 March 1948, Guerri was named Pro-Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, becoming its full Secretary on 1 January 1951. He was later made a canon of St. Peter's Basilica on 25 April 1952. Named Secretary of the Central Preparatory Commission on 22 June 1960, Guerri was administrative secretary of the Second Vatican Council from 1960 to 1965. He was made Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of Holy See (7 May 1968) before becoming Pro-President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State on 6 November 1968. A close friend of Paolo Bertoli and Umberto Mozzoni, he remained in this post until he was succeeded in 1969 by Giuseppe Caprio.