Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, was born in Milwaukee (USA), in the State of Wisconsin, on October 20th 1949. He received his licence in Sacred Theology and a doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI in Rome on June 29th during the Holy Year of 1975, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on March 25th 1980. For the first two years he worked at the nunciature in the Dominican Republic. In his capacity as advisor to the nunciature, he then began to work as a member of the diplomatic staff in the Secretary of State on July 10th 1982. As a Prelate of Honour to His Holiness, on November 9th 1994, he was named Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretary of State on July 22nd 1997. On February 7th 1998 Pope John Paul II entrusted him with the task of Prefect of the Pontifical Household. That same Holy Father ordained him bishop in St Peter’s Basilica on March 19th 1998, assigning to him the titular see of Memphis (Egypt), and then on September 29th 2003, promoted him to the status of archbishop. On November 23rd 2012 he was named Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls by Pope Benedict XVI. By the same Pope Benedict XVI he was created Cardinal in the Consistory of November 24th, with the deaconry of Saint Pius V in Villa Carpegna. He is a member of the Congregations for the Evangelisation of Peoples and for the Causes of Saints, as well as of the Administration for the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. |