Roman Catholic Cardinal. Pieve di Sant'Andrea born Aurelio Sabattani's family came from Riolo Terme. Entering seminary in Imola, he later moved to the Regional Seminary Benedetto XV in Bologna, from where he earned a masters in dogmatic theology. Furthering his studies in Rome, he earned a doctorate in utroque iure from the Pontifical Institute of S. Apollinare and the diploma of a lawyer of the Sacred Roman Rota. Ordained priest on July 26, 1935 in the episcopal chapel of Faenza, by the local Ordinary, Msgr. Antonio Scarante, he served briefly within the Vatican Secretariat of State before having to return to his diocese due to family affairs. Successively in Imola, between 1940 and 1955, he served as diocesan chancellor, faculty member of its seminary, diocesan counselor of Christian teachers, cathedral canon and judge and official of the Regional Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Bologna. Rendering services at the Vatican Secretariat of State during the summer periods of 1942 until 1947, he was named privy chamberlain supra numerarium on September 30, 1943 and auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota on January 31, 1955. The Cardinal Vicar of Rome named him spiritual counselor of the Catholic Physicians Association of Rome, a position he kept from 1955 till 1965. Elected archbishop of the titular see of Giustiniana Prima and appointed prelate of the territorial prelature of Loreto and pontifical delegate of its shrine, he received his episcopal consecration on July 25, 1965 at the church of San Carlo al Corso in Rome from Cardinal Amleto Giovanni Cicognani. Appointed president of the episcopal conference of the region of Marche and named secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature on July 13, 1971, he resigned the pastoral government of the prelature on September 30, 1971, being named vicar of the cardinal archpriest of the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica later that year and furthermore pro-prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature and pro-president of the Vatican Court of Appeal on May 17, 1982. Pope John Paul II created him cardinal deacon in the consistory of February 2, 1983 with the deaconry of Sant'Apollinare alle Terme Neroniane-Alessandrine and appointed him prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature on the following day as well as archpriest of the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica and president of the Reverend Fabric of St. Peter's, five days later. Resigning the prefecture on July 1, 1988, he was named cardinal protodeacon on November 26, 1990. Appointed vicar general of the Vatican City on January 14, 1991, he resigned the posts of archpriest, vicar and president on July 1, 1991. Opting for the order of cardinal priests, his deaconry was elevated pro illa vice to title on April 5, 1993. The Cardinal died in the morning of April 19, 2003 in his apartment at the Palace of the Tribunal, Piazza Santa Marta, inside the Vatican City and was laid to rest in his family's tomb in Riolo Terme.