Pope Leo XIV Mourns Cardinal Paolo Romeo
Pope Leo XIV sent condolences after Cardinal Paolo Romeo, archbishop emeritus of Palermo, died Oct. 25 in Catania at 88; funerals Oct. 27–28 in Acireale.
Cardinal Paolo Romeo, archbishop emeritus of Palermo, died on Oct. 25, 2026, at the age of 88 at San Marco Hospital in Catania, Sicily, after a long illness.
Pope Leo XIV sent a message of condolence in which he affirmed that the cardinal “served the Gospel and the Church generously.” The Holy Father recalled “with gratitude his dedicated ministry, first as a priest of the Diocese of Acireale, then in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, especially as pontifical representative in Haiti, Colombia, Canada, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino, and finally as the devoted archbishop of Palermo.”
A Lifetime in Diplomacy and Pastoral Care
Born on Feb. 20, 1938, in Acireale, Sicily, the fifth of nine children, Paolo Romeo was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Acireale on March 18, 1961. He earned a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University.
After formation at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1967. His postings took him to the Philippines, Belgium and Luxembourg, the European Communities, Venezuela, Rwanda, and Burundi. In 1976 he joined the Secretariat of State, where he handled Latin America and CELAM.
On Dec. 17, 1983, he was appointed titular archbishop of Vulturia and apostolic nuncio to Haiti. St. John Paul II ordained him a bishop on Jan. 6, 1984, in St. Peter’s Basilica. He later served as nuncio to Colombia (1990), Canada (1999), and to Italy and San Marino (April 17, 2001).
Archbishop of Palermo and Cardinal
Pope Benedict XVI named him metropolitan archbishop of Palermo on Dec. 19, 2006; he was installed on Feb. 10, 2007. In that office he also served as president of the Sicilian Bishops’ Conference and as Sicilian grand prior of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
He was created a cardinal on Nov. 20, 2010, with the title of Santa Maria Odigitria dei Siciliani. He participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis and served as apostolic administrator of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi from 2013 to 2015. He retired on Oct. 27, 2015. His episcopal motto was “Caritas Omnia Sustinet.”
The Diocese of Acireale announced that his body will lie in state from 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 27 in the cathedral basilica of Acireale, with a prayer vigil at 8 p.m. The funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. on Oct. 28 in the same cathedral.