Introduction
Beniamino Stella (born 18 August 1941) is an Italian cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 22 February 2014. He has served as the postulator for the canonization cause of Pope John Paul I since 2016.
Life
Beniamino Stella was born in Pieve di Soligo, Province of Treviso, Italy. His parish priest was instrumental in his entering the seminary. After finishing secondary education, he went to Rome and entered the Pontifical Roman Seminary, where he studied philosophy and theology; then, studied at the Pontifical Lateran University.
In 1965, his bishop, Albino Luciani of Vittorio Veneto, future Pope John Paul I, sent him to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Rome, to study diplomacy. He studied at the academy from 1966 to 1970 and at the same time he obtained a doctorate in canon law.
Ordination and Episcopate
He was ordained on 19 March 1966, by his uncle, Archbishop Costantino Stella of L'Aquila as a priest of the diocese of Vittorio Veneto. Entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1970. Worked in the nunciatures in the Dominican Republic as adetto from 1970 to 1973; and Zaire as secretary from 1973 to 1976. Named chaplain of His Holiness on 5 September 1974. From 1976 to 1978, he served in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State; then, he worked in the nunciature in Malta, as auditor. From 1978 to 1983 the nuncio was sent away by Malta's prime minister Don Mintoff, and Monsignor Stella stayed there as a chargé d'affaires. In 1983, he was assigned to the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church. Named counselor of nunciature on 1 February 1983.
Apostolic Nuncio
In 1987 Stella was appointed titular archbishop of Midila by Pope John Paul II, who was also his principal consecrator. In the following years he served as apostolic nuncio to the Republic of Congo, Cuba, and Colombia.
Prefect of Congregation for the Clergy
In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a position he held until Pope Francis nominated him Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy on 21 September 2013. On 16 December 2013 he was appointed as a member of the Congregation for Bishops.
In an interview with Vatican News editor Andrea Tornielli on February 27, 2019, Stella revealed that the Congregation of the Clergy manages matters concerning priests who violate their vows of celibacy for approximately ten years. Regarding violation of the celibacy policy, Stella stated "In such cases there are, unfortunately, Bishops and Superiors who think that, after having provided economically for the children, or after having transferred the priest, the cleric could continue to exercise the ministry."
Cardinal
In January 2014 it was announced that he will be elevated to the cardinalate at the next consistory on 22 February 2014.
He was made Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Cosma e Damiano.
On 10 March 2015, Pope Francis appointed Stella a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.
He was appointed a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. and later a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.