Renato Corti (1 March 1936 – 12 May 2020) was an Italian cardinal and prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Novara from 1990 to 2011. Pope Francis raised Corti to the rank of cardinal on 19 November 2016.


Renato Corti
Cardinal
Bishop emeritus of Novara
Corti in 2009
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
DioceseNovara
SeeNovara
Appointed19 December 1990
Installed3 March 1991
Term ended24 November 2011
PredecessorAldo Del Monte
SuccessorFranco Giulio Brambilla
Other post(s)Cardinal Priest of San Giovanni a Porta Latina (2016–2020)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination28 July 1959
by Giovanni Battista Montini
Consecration6 June 1981
by Carlo Maria Martini
Created cardinal19 November 2016
by Pope Francis
RankCardinal priest
Personal details
Born(1936-03-01)1 March 1936
Died12 May 2020(2020-05-12) (aged 84)
Rho, Italy
NationalityItalian
DenominationRoman Catholicism
MottoCor ad cor loquitur
('Heart speaks to heart')
Ordination history of
Renato Corti
History
Priestly ordination
Date28 June 1959
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorCarlo Maria Martini
Co-consecrators
Date6 June 1981
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope Francis
Date19 November 2016
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Renato Corti as principal consecrator
Germano Zaccheo16 September 1995
Styles of
Renato Corti
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Early years

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Renato Corti was born in Galbiate in the province of Lecco, part of the Archdiocese of Milan on 1 March 1936. He studied at the seminary in Milan and was ordained on 28 July 1959 by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini (later Pope Paul VI).[1] His assignments included serving as parochial vicar of the Oratory of Caronno Pertusella from 1959 to 1967, spiritual director at the College of Gorla Minore from 1967 to 1969, and spiritual director of the archdiocesan seminary of Saronno from 1969 to 1977. He then became rector for theology at the seminary of Saronno. He became vicar general of the Milan Archdiocese in November 1980.[1]

Episcopacy

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Pope John Paul II named him auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milan on 30 April 1981 and titular bishop of Zallata. He received episcopal ordination on 6 June 1981 from Archbishop Carlo Maria Martini, with Bishops Libero Tresoldi and Bernardo Citterio as co-consecrators. The same pope named him Bishop of Novara on 19 December 1990 to succeed Aldo Del Monte, and he was installed on 3 March 1991.[1]

In November 2007, four months after Pope Benedict XVI issued new rules about use of the 1962 Roman Missal (see Summorum Pontificum), three priests in the Novara diocese refused to celebrate Sunday Mass unless allowed to celebrate the Tridentine Mass exclusively. Corti suspended them.[2][3]

While Bishop of Novara he served terms as vice president of the Italian Bishops Conference (2000 to 2005)[4] and vice president of the Regional Bishops Conference of Piedmont. He also held assignments in the Roman Curia as a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.[5]

Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation as bishop of Novara on 24 November 2011.[6] In retirement he continued to lead spiritual exercises for both religious and lay groups. He lived at Rho, near the college of the Oblates of St. Ambrose and St. Charles.[7]

Corti was known for his work as a spiritual director. Pope John Paul II asked him to lead his Lenten retreat in 2005 and at the invitation of Pope Francis he wrote the meditations used at the Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum in 2015.[8][9]

Pope Francis raised Corti to the rank of cardinal at a consistory held on 19 November 2016. He was given the rank of Cardinal-Priest and assigned the titular church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina.[10]

Death

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Corti died in Rho at the age of 84 on 12 May 2020.[11]

Works

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  • Platovnjak, Ivan (2001). La direzione spirituale oggi: lo sviluppo della sua dottrina dal Vaticano II a Vita consecrata, 1962-1996. Roma: Pontificia università gregoriana. ISBN 88-7652-889-X. OCLC 47677772.
  • Il miracolo sarebbe la santità. Meditazioni sul ministero sacerdotale (1999) ISBN 978-8838428289
  • Corti, Renato (2003). Un giovane diventa cristiano: l'esperienza di sant'Agostino: lettera pastorale per l'anno 2003-2004. Milano: Paoline. ISBN 88-315-2536-0. OCLC 955560310.
  • Corti, Renato (2005). La chiesa a servizio della nuova ed eterna alleanza : esercizi spirituali in Vaticano, 2005. Città del Vaticano: Libreria editrice vaticana. ISBN 88-209-7700-1. OCLC 60529003.
  • Bianchi, Enzo (2004). La parrocchia. Corti, Renato. Magnano: Edizioni Qiqajon-Monastero di Bose. ISBN 88-8227-168-4. OCLC 971264023.
  • Corti, Renato (2007). Rivestitevi di Cristo: la sorgente e l'alimento della maturità cristiana: lettera pastorale per l'anno 2007-2008. Milano: Paoline. ISBN 978-88-315-3360-7. OCLC 956001359.
  • Corti, Renato (2008). Fate quello che egli vi dirà: vivere da cristiani nel mondo: lettera pastorale per l'anno 2008-2009. Milano: Paoline. ISBN 978-88-315-3537-3. OCLC 955176246.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Italian Cardinal Corti, popular spiritual guide, dies at 84". Crux. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. ^ Owen, Richard (9 June 2008). "First parish to offer Mass in the Tridentine rite opens in Rome". The Times. Retrieved 21 December 2010.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Italian bishop suspends priests for insisting on Latin Mass". CatholicCulture. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Cardinals created by Francis". GCatholic.org. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  5. ^ "E' morto il cardinale Renato Corti, vescovo emerito di Novara" (in Italian). Avvenire. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 24.11.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Diventa cardinale l'ex vescovo di Novara Renato Corti". La Stampa (in Italian). 10 October 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  8. ^ Glatz, Carol (20 March 2015). "Way of Cross takes Jesus' point of view to help others carry crosses". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Way of the Cross Led by His Holiness Pope Francis". vatican.va. Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Il vescovo di Novara Renato Corti è diventato cardinale". La Stampa (in Italian). 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Addio al cardinale Renato Corti" (in Italian). Chiesa di Milano. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Novara
19 December 1990—24 November 2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal Priest of San Giovanni a Porta Latina
19 November 2016—12 May 2020
Succeeded by