Passing of Cardinal Ersilio Tonini of Italy, at the age of 99

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Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, Cardinal Priest of SS. Redentore a Valmelaina has passed away on Sunday, 28 July 2013 at the age of 99, just a few days after his birthday on 20 July. At 99, he was the oldest living Cardinal in the College of Cardinals.

http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-6.htm#175

Cardinal Tonini was created Cardinal in 1994 by the late Blessed Pope John Paul II and he was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia, Italy from 1975 to 1990. He was the last Cardinal to have been born in the Pontificate of Pope St. Pius X, the last Pope to be made a saint. Pope St. Pius X passed away exactly one month after Cardinal Tonini was born (20 August 1914). He was also the last Cardinal to have been born prior to World War I, which began just a week after his birth.

We pray for Cardinal Tonini, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard work as the shepherd of the people of God in Ravenna-Cervia and his numerous other contributions to the Church and for the Lord’s sake. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.

With the passing of Cardinal Tonini, the College of Cardinals now stands at 202 members, with 112 Cardinal-electors and 90 Cardinal non-electors.

There are now 8 Cardinal-elector vacancies in the College of Cardinals, 11 vacant Cardinal Titles (for Cardinal Priests) and 8 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons)

Passing of Cardinal Stanislaw Nagy at the age of 91 (Wednesday, 5 June 2013)

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Cardinal Stanislaw Nagy, a Cardinal from Poland and a good friend of the late Blessed Pope John Paul II, and a renowned theologian and a great teacher, has passed away last Wednesday, on 5 June 2013 at the age of 91.

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Cardinal Nagy was made a Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria della Scala at the age of 82 in 2003, as a Cardinal non-elector, in recognition of his great service for the Church, both in the field of theology, and in the field of knowledge in general, after his numerous writings on the faith and the Pope himself, whom he was a dear friend of.

With the passing of Cardinal Nagy, the composition of the College of Cardinals has once again changed, just a day after Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium aged out at 80 and became a Cardinal non-elector.

As of 5 June 2013, the College of Cardinals consist of 204 members in total, with 112 Cardinal-electors and 92 Cardinal non-electors (minus one due to the passing of Cardinal Nagy).

We pray for His Eminence’s soul that God will welcome him into His embrace in heaven, and grant him the heavenly reward that is promised him, and live with Him in glory forever and ever. Requiescat in Pace.