Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Lussito, Acqui Terme, Luigi Raimondi entered seminary in Acqui, later furthering his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Lateran Athenaeum and the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Ordained priest in Acqui on June 6, 1936, he served as secretary of apostolic nunciature in Guatemala between 1938 and 1942. Named Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness on March 3, 1939, he acted as auditor of the apostolic delegation in the United States of America from 1942 until 1949. Counselor and chargé d'affaires of the internunciature in India, he was named Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on March 5, 1951. Appointed staff member of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican City in 1953, Raimondi was elected archbishop of the titular see of Tarso and appointed apostolic nuncio in Haiti and apostolic delegate to the British and the French West Indies on December 24, 1953 by Pope Pius XII, receiving his episcopal consecration on January 31 of the following year at the basilica of San Carlo al Corso in Rome from Cardinal Adeodato Giovanni Piazza OCD. Appointed apostolic delegate in Mexico on December 15, 1956, he was transferred to such office in the United States of America on June 30, 1967. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal deacon in the consistory of March 5, 1973 with the deaconry of Ss. Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari and appointed him prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of the Saints on March 21. On June 24, 1975, Raimondi was expecting Cardinal John Joseph Carberry, Archbishop of St. Louis, and his sister Loretto for lunch at his Vatican apartment, along with Cardinal John Joseph Wright and US Ambassador to Italy, John Volpe. With Cardinal Carberry and his sister being the first to arrive, the Sister housekeeper went to notify Raimondi of their presence, when rushing out of the room she informed them he appeared to be very sick. Entering the room himself, Carberry found him with his eyes fixed and his mouth open with no sign of respiration. Calling Cardinal Jean Villot, Secretary of State, a medical team was soon dispatched but to no avail. Having seemed in good health up to that very morning, the Cardinal had succumbed to a severe heart attack a day after his doctor had prescribed him cardiac medicine. His remains lie buried inside his family vault in the cemetery of Acqui Terme.