Age, Biography, and Wiki
Giovanni Battista Re was born in Borno, Italy, to Matteo Re, a carpenter. He was ordained a priest in 1957 by Archbishop Giacinto Tredici in Brescia. Re holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1961 to pursue a diplomatic career within the Church.
| Occupation | Religious Leader |
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| Date of Birth | 30 January 1934 |
| Age | 91 Years |
| Birth Place | Borno, Italy |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | Italy |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is no publicly available information regarding Giovanni Battista Re's height, weight, or other measurements.
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Dating & Relationship Status
As a member of the clergy, Giovanni Battista Re maintains a life of celibacy, typical of Catholic priests and bishops.
In March 2009, after an abortion on a nine-year-old girl raped by her stepfather and pregnant with twins had been performed to save her life, Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife stated that automatic excommunication had been incurred by the girl's mother and the medical team. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized what he called the archbishop's "conservative attitude" and health minister José Gomes Temporão directed his criticism against the Catholic Church's position, describing it as "extreme, radical and inadequate". In a comment to an Italian newspaper, Re deplored what he called an attack on the church in Brazil: "It is a sad case, but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons, who had the right to live and could not be eliminated. Life must always be protected. The attack on the Brazilian church is unjustified." He added that excommunication of those who performed the abortion was just. The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil declared the Archbishop's statement mistaken.
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Net Worth and Salary
Giovanni Battista Re's net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $3 million. This wealth is largely derived from his ecclesiastical position rather than personal earnings. Cardinals typically do not receive a traditional salary but are supported by the Church for their living expenses.
Career, Business, and Investments
Re's career in the Catholic Church is marked by significant leadership roles:
- Diplomatic Career: He entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1961 to prepare for a diplomatic career.
- Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops: Re served in this position from 2000 to 2010, playing a crucial role in the appointment and discipline of bishops.
- Dean of the College of Cardinals: He has held this position since 2020, being one of the most senior cardinals in the Church.
- Business and Investments: There is no specific information on personal business ventures or investments, as his focus has been on ecclesiastical duties.
Born in Borno, Italy, the son of the carpenter Matteo Re (1908–2012), Giovanni Battista Re was ordained a priest by Archbishop Giacinto Tredici in Brescia on 3 March 1957. He holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and taught in the Brescia seminary. To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1961.
Re was named on 16 September 2000 to head the Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Re became Cardinal-Priest of Ss. XII Apostoli in the consistory held 21 February 2001, named first among those elevated. The next year, on 1 October, he was named Cardinal Bishop of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto. Re automatically lost his position as prefect on 2 April 2005 upon the death of John Paul II and was reconfirmed in office by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 April 2005. He held both positions until 30 June 2010.
Social Network
Giovanni Battista Re is not known for having an active presence on social media platforms, as his public life is largely confined to official Church activities and communications.
Re, who as prefect of the Congregation of Bishops assisted the pope in deciding the future careers of the clergy, said, "When Monsignor Wielgus was nominated, we did not know anything about his collaboration [with the secret services]. Wielgus resigned his position as Archbishop of Warsaw on 6 January 2007, just one day after being installed in that post in a private ceremony, just before the start of his public installation, because of revelations that he cooperated with the Polish communist secret police decades earlier".
Education
Re holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also taught in the Brescia seminary before entering the diplomatic academy.
Giovanni Battista Re (born 30 January 1934) is an Italian Catholic prelate who has served as Dean of the College of Cardinals since 2020. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2001 and served as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops from 2000 to 2010. As the most senior cardinal-bishop in attendance, he chaired the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.
Further, according to Tornielli and Valente, sometime after Bishop Paul Bootkoski of Metuchen, McCarrick's former see, reported to Nuncio Gabriel Montalvo Higuera on 5 December 2005, that his diocese had made at least one settlement with a former seminarian who accused McCarrick of sexual harassment, Re informed McCarrick in writing that negative reports about him had come to light. McCarrick was replaced as archbishop of Washington shortly after. In late 2006 or early 2007, after McCarrick had been replaced as archbishop and further reports of McCarrick's sexual assault of adults had reached Rome, Re sent McCarrick a letter via Nuncio Pietro Sambi in which he instructed him to leave the Redemptoris Mater seminary where he was living and to lead a life of retreat and prayer. These instructions were not obeyed. Following the April 2008 publication of Richard Sipe's "Statement for Pope Benedict XVI", Re sent McCarrick another written letter, which was presented to him at the nunciature by Nuncio Pietro Sambi, telling him to leave Redemptoris Mater and live in a monastery or become the chaplain of a home for the elderly run by nuns. In a letter of response, McCarrick refused Re's instructions and proposed instead that he live in a residence for priests in Washington, a parish in Washington, an apartment in Rome, or in a residence near an American Catholic university. He also argued that canceling all his pending invitations and public appearances would bring unwelcome attention. In a subsequently leaked communication to Fr. Anthony Figueiredo of 7 October 2008, McCarrick stated that "Cardinal Re has approved my moving to a parish and my Archbishop [ Donald Wuerl ] has been great in beginning to work that out". He also stated that he had agreed to make no public appearances either in the United States or abroad without Re's approval and to resign from all Roman and USCCB entities, and that Re had forbidden him to come to Rome. However, McCarrick continued to make many public appearances around the world and to travel to Rome in subsequent years, with no public objection from Re.
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February 2013, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, the subdean, were over the age of 80 and therefore ineligible to participate in the conclave to elect his successor. Re, as the senior cardinal elector, presided over the conclave that elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. At the new pope's inauguration on 19 March 2013, Re was one of the six cardinals who made a public profession of obedience to the new pope on behalf of the College of Cardinals.
On 10 June 2017, Pope Francis approved Re's election as subdean of the College of Cardinals by the cardinals of the suburbicarian sees (dioceses in the suburbs of Rome). On 18 January 2020, Pope Francis approved his election to a five-year term as dean of the College of Cardinals by the nine Latin Church cardinal bishops, and to a second five-year term as dean on 7 January 2025.
As Dean of the College of Cardinals, Re along with Pope Francis presided over the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI on 5 January 2023. It was the first funeral for a retired pope since Pope Gregory XII, who resigned in 1415 and died two years later. Two years later, on April 26, 2025, Re officiated at the funeral of Pope Francis. He also presided over the General Congregations of the College of Cardinals leading to the 2025 papal conclave. However, he, along with vice dean Leonardo Sandri, did not preside over the conclave, as he was over 80 years old at the time of the sede vacante. Nevertheless, he presided over the Missa Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice in the morning of May 7, 2025, before the conclave started later that afternoon. The task of presiding over the conclave was given to the senior cardinal bishop, Pietro Parolin.
