Giuseppe Versaldi

Giuseppe Versaldi (born 30 July 1943) is the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, since his appointment, by Pope Francis on 31 March 2015 to succeed Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski. Previously, Cardinal Versaldi had served as Cardinal President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See since 21 September 2011. Cardinal Versaldi had served before that as Bishop of Alessandria. He was elevated to the cardinalate on 18 February 2012.
Versaldi was born in 1943 in Villarboit in the Province of Vercelli, Region of Piedmont, and was ordained a priest on 29 June 1967. In 1972 he was sent to Rome to study psychology and then canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he earned a degree in psychology and a doctorate in canon law. Versaldi returned to Vercelli in 1976, where he was given the task of starting the diocesan Family Counseling centre. At the same time he attended courses at the Roman Rota. He received his law degree in 1980.
In 1977 he was entrusted with the care of the Parish of Larizza in the Diocese. In 1980 he was called to teach canon law and psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1985 he was appointed by the Holy See and in 1990 voter referendum at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
On 25 March 1994 he was appointed Vicar General of Vercelli, by the then Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, who subsequently, from 2006 until 2013, served as Cardinal Secretary of State.
Pope Benedict XVI named him Bishop of Alessandria on 4 April 2007. He was consecrated on 26 May 2007, by Enrico Masseroni, Archbishop of Vercelli, as principal consecrator, and Bishops Fernando Charrier and Natalino Pescarolo as co-consecrators. He was installed in his cathedral on 10 June 2007.
After four years as bishop of Alessandria, Versaldi was named President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and archbishop on 21 September 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI.
On 18 February 2012 he was created Cardinal-Deacon of Sacro Cuore di Gesù a Castro Pretorio by Benedict XVI. On 21 April 2012 Cardinal Versaldi was appointed a member of the Apostolic Signatura, the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Cardinal Versaldi will hold these memberships until his 80th birthday, unless he resigns, or until he dies.
Cardinal Versaldi was one of the 117 cardinal electors who took part in the 2013 conclave. On 31 March 2015 Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Versaldi as Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, replacing Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski.

• Martin Bräuer, Handbuch der Kardinäle: 1846-2012 (Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2014).