Achille Silvestrini
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Styles of Achille Silvestrini |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Achille Silvestrini (born 25 October 1923, Brisighella, Italy) was one of the most prominent Vatican diplomats during the long reign of John Paul II. He was Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches between 1991 and 2000.
Educated in Rome, Silvestrini became a priest on 13 July 1946, cathedral of Faenza, by Giuseppe Battaglia, bishop of Faenza. He celebrated his first mass in Brisighella, assisted by his uncle don Ludovico and the archpriest. Joined the Vatican diplomatic service, section of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, Secretariat of State, in 1953; in charge of affairs of Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia in general. In 1955, he formed part of the section of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, directed by Monsignor Domenico Tardini.
He served as Personal secretary of Cardinals Domenico Tardini and Amleto Giovanni Cicognani. He was made Prelate of honour of His Holiness in 1965. In the Council for Public Affairs of the Church from 1969-1979 where he was in charge of the section for international organisations, peace, disarmament, and human rights. He traveled to Moscow with Archbishop Agostino Casaroli, secretary of the Council for Public Affairs of the Church, to deliver the instrument of adhesion of the Holy See to the Treaty on proliferation of nuclear weapons, 1971.
He was head of the Holy See delegation to the United Nations Conference on peaceful use of nuclear energy, Geneva, 1971, and to the Conference on compliance with the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Geneva, 1975. He was appointed Under-secretary of the Council for Public Affairs of Church on 28 July 1973.
Under Pope Paul VI, he continued as administrative secretary to Jean-Marie Villot, and his experience was welcomed by John Paul after he became Pope in 1978.
Silvestrini became titular Archbishop of Novaliciana on 27 May 1979 and was consecrated by two other figures who were to play important administrative roles in John Paul's long papacy – Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy.
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