Pericle Felici

Pericle Felici (August 1, 1911, Segni, Rome - March 22, 1982, Foggia) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Born in Segni, Rome on August 1, 1911, he first studied theology at the local seminary of Segni, and afterwards at the Roman Pontifical Seminary.

He was ordained as a priest in 1933. In 1960 he was appointed as the titular archbishop of Samosata and shortly afterwards in the same year, was ordained as a bishop. He participated actively as a general secretary working at the Second Vatican Council.

Due to his work as President of Interpretation of Legislative Texts, he is considered as the architect in the revision of the Code of Canon Law. In 1967, he was elevated to the cardinalate as the Cardinal Deacon of San Apollinare alle Terme Neroniane-Alessandrine. In 1977 he was appointed as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in the Roman Curia.

In 1978, during the Year of the Three Popes Cardinal Felici participated in both the August and October papal conclaves. Because he was the Senior Cardinal Deacon at that time, he had the rare honor of giving twice the Habemus Papam announcement, the first after the election of Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I, and the second, after the election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II. As the Senior Cardinal Deacon, Cardinal Felici also had the honor of bestowing the pallium on both popes at their respective papal inaugurations.

His title as cardinal-deacon was later changed to cardinal-priest on June 20,...
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