Severino Poletto Cleric
Severino Poletto (born 18 March 1933) is an Italian Cardinal Priest and Archbishop Emeritus of Turin in the Roman Catholic Church.Born in Salgareda, Veneto, Poletto was ordained a priest in 1957. He holds a licentiate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome, and worked as a curate in Montemagno. In 1965 he was named parish priest in Oltreponte; at the same time he worked part-time in a local factory.In 1973, Poletto founded the Diocesan Centre for Family Ministry. In 1980, he rose to become Bishop of Fossano; he also served for 10 years as secretary of the Piedmontese Episcopal Conference. In 1989 he was named Bishop of Asti and in 1999, Archbishop of Turin. Cardinal Poletto retired as Archbishop in 2010.After finishing his studiesProclaimed Cardinal-Priest of S. Giuseppe in via Trionfale (pro hace vice) by John Paul II'>Pope John Paul II on 21 February 2001, Poletto was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI, although Poletto was considered papabile himself. Poletto participated as Cardinal elector at the 2013 conclave.