Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, who as personal secretary to Pope John XXIII helped prepare the Roman Catholic hierarchy for the opening of the Second Vatican Council, died on Thursday in Bergamo, Italy. He was 100.
His death was reported by the Italian news agency Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata.
Cardinal Capovilla was a priest when he met Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the future pope, in Venice in 1953. He had served as a military chaplain during World War II and later as a radio broadcaster and journalist for the church. Cardinal Roncalli had just been installed as the patriarch of Venice in 1953.
Read Full Article »