Gilberto Agustoni

His Eminence Gilberto Agustoni
Prefect Emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura
See	Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta
Appointed	26 November 1994
Term ended	5 October 1998
Predecessor	Achille Silvestrini
Successor	Zenon Grocholewski
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta
Orders
Ordination	20 April 1946
Consecration	6 January 1987 by Pope John Paul II
Created cardinal	26 November 1994
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	(1922-07-26) 26 July 1922 Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Nationality	Swiss
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post(s)	Titular Bishop of Caprulae (1986-1994) Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy (1986-1992) Pro-Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1992-1994) Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta (1994-2005)
Motto	christus spes gloriae
Coat of arms

Styles of Gilberto Agustoni
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Caprulae (titular see) 1986–1994

Gilberto Agustoni (born 26 July 1922) is a Swiss prelate, a former Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and a Cardinal-Priest of the Roman Catholic Church.

Early life

Agustoni was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and had four brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers were also priests. Their mother came from a village on the shores of Lake Constance. He was educated at the Seminary of Lugano; because of the war, his bishop, Angelo Jelmini, kept his student in Switzerland and had him continue his studies at the University of Fribourg, but later sent him to the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum and the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he earned licentiates in theology and law.

Roman Curia appointments

In 1950, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani asked Jelmini for the young Agustoni, whom he had met on several occasions, to work in the Holy Office, while continuing his studies. Agustoni began his service there on 1 July 1950 and eventually became Ottaviani's secretary.

On 18 December 1986 Pope John Paul II appointed Agustoni Titular Archbishop of Caprulae and Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy. On 2 April 1992 he was appointed Pro-Prefect of Apostolic Signatura, becoming Prefect when created Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta on 26 November 1994.

He resigned his post on 5 October 1998, becoming Prefect Emeritus of the Signatura. In early 2005, he took the option, open to Cardinal-Deacons after ten years, of becoming a Cardinal-Priest.

Ottaviani Intervention

He was secretary to Ottaviani at the time of the Ottaviani Intervention. Jean Madiran, a critic of the reforms of Vatican II and founder-editor of the French journal Itinéraires, claimed that this letter was fraudulently presented to the elderly and already blind cardinal for his signature by his secretary Agustoni, and that Agustoni resigned shortly afterwards. No confirmation of this story by the cardinal himself was published. Agustoni resigned as Ottaviani's secretary in 1970 to join the Ecclesiastical Magistrature as Prelate Auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota and there is no evidence to suggest his departure was anything more than a routine change of assignment. Furthermore, Madiran admits that he was not in the room to see this alleged deception of Ottaviani.