College of Cardinals

Biographical notes

[Updated: 22.02.2014]

Notice: the biographical notes are only a working instrument for the press.

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, was born in Pieve di Soligo in the province of Treviso, Italy, on 18 August 1941, one of twelve siblings.

He was ordained a priest on 19 March 1966; following classical studies at the Vittorio Veneto Seminary and subsequently at the Pontifical Roman Seminary for philosophy and theology, he was incardinated in the diocese of Vittorio Veneto.

He received a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University as a student at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, where he had been sent by his bishop, Monsignor Albino Luciani.

Entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1970, he served at the pontifical representations in the Dominican Republic and in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo). After a two-year period at the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church of the Secretary of State, he took on the role of Charge d’Affaires at the apostolic nunciature in Malta for 5 years, and then returned to the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church from 1983 to 1987.

He was appointed as papal representative to the Central-African Republic, Congo Brazzaville and Chad on 21 August 1987 elevated to the dignity of archbishop and assigned the titular see of Midila. He received episcopal ordination shortly after, on 5 September, from Blessed Pope John Paul II in the Vatican Basilica.

On 15 December 1992 he was appointed as apostolic nuncio to Cuba.

On 11 February 1999 he was transferred to the papal representation in Colombia.

On 13 October 2007 he was called to Rome by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, in Piazza della Minerva, for the formation of priests sent by bishops in preparation for diplomatic service within the pontifical representations and at the Secretariat of State.

On 21 September 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 22 February 2014, of the Deaconry of Santi Cosma e Damiano.