Cardinal Angelo Amato, former Vatican official, dies at 86

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Italian Cardinal Angelo Amato, who served as secretary of the Vatican's doctrinal office and then as head of the then-Congregation for Saints' Causes, died in Rome Dec. 31 at the age of 86.

In a telegram expressing his condolences to the late cardinal's relatives and Salesian confreres, Pope Francis said the cardinal had dedicated himself with "kindness and generosity" to the Gospel and the church.

He was a "good and vigilant servant, faithful to his motto 'Sufficit gratia mea,' (My grace is sufficient)," the pope said.

He worked closely with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as a consultant, and then, in 2002, he was named an archbishop and secretary of the doctrinal office while it was still headed by the future Pope Benedict XVI.

The Salesian was one of the principal drafters of the congregation's 2000 document, "Dominus Iesus" ("The Lord Jesus"), which underscored the unique and universal salvation offered by Christ and his church.

After his election in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI named the then-archbishop to be the prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes before elevating him to the College of Cardinals in 2010.
As prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Amato traveled the world presiding over beatification ceremonies until his retirement at the age of 80.

Born in Molfetta, Italy, in 1938, he was ordained a priest in 1967. He held a licentiate in philosophy from the Pontifical Salesian University and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He taught dogmatic theology at the Salesian University, served as dean of the theology faculty there and was vice rector from 1997 to 2000.

He also served as secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology and as a consultant to the pontifical councils for Christian unity and for interreligious dialogue.

His death left the College of Cardinals with 252 cardinals, 139 of whom are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave.