VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Cardinal Renato Martino, the former Vatican observer at the United Nations and former president of the pontifical councils for justice and peace and for migrants and travelers, died Oct. 28 at the age of 91.
His funeral was scheduled for Oct. 30 in St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals was to be the main celebrant. Pope Francis was scheduled to lead the rite of final commendation.
In a condolence message to the cardinal's brother, Pope Francis praised his long priestly ministry and particularly his service at the United Nations "where he spared no energy to witness to the paternal concern of the pope for the fate of humanity."
In all his postings, the pope said, he served with "great dynamism in favor of the good of peoples, constantly promoting dialogue and agreement."
At the time of his death, Cardinal Martino held the title of protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, the longest serving of the cardinals holding the rank of deacon and the one who would have announced to the world, "Habemus papam!" (We have a pope!), if there had been a conclave before he died.
The next in rank is French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Apostolic Signature.
Cardinal Martino was born Nov. 23, 1932, in Salerno, Italy, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1957.
After earning a doctorate in canon law, he entered the Vatican diplomatic service in 1962 and served in nunciatures in Nicaragua, the Philippines, Lebanon, Canada and Brazil, as well as at the Vatican Secretariat of State.
St. John Paul II named him an archbishop in 1980 and appointed him nuncio to Thailand and apostolic delegate in Singapore, Malaysia, Laos and Brunei. Six years later, the pope made him the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. In 1991 he founded the Path to Peace Foundation to further the Holy See's mission at the U.N.
In 2002, St. John Paul called him back to the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and named him a cardinal in 2003. Pope Benedict XVI gave him the additional duties of serving simultaneously as head of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers in 2006. He retired in 2009.
His death leaves the College of Cardinals with 233 members, 121 of whom are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave. Pope Francis is scheduled to create 20 new cardinals Dec. 7.
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