Roman Catholic Cardinal. Palazzolo Acreide born Francesco Carpino was the third of five children of Salvatore Carpino, owner of a small rural estate, and his wife Maria Odigitria Cascino. Entering seminary in Noto, he later moved to Rome, furthering his studies at the Pontifical Roman Seminary, earning doctorates in philosophy and theology and a licentiate in canon law. Back in Sicily, he was appointed to the teaching staff of the seminary of Noto until reaching the canonical age for the priestly ordination, which he ultimately received on August 14, 1927 at the mother church of his native Palazzolo Acreide. Professor of Sacramental Theology at the Pontifical Lateran Athenaeum of Rome from 1929 till 1951, he resided at the Pontifical Roman Seminary and along the years pursued pastoral ministry in Rome, collaborating with several congregations of the Roman Curia as well as with the Roman Vicariate. Named privy chamberlain of His Holiness on April 27, 1939, at forty five years of age he was appointed coadjutor with right of succession of the archdiocese of Monreale by Pope Pius XII, receiving his episcopal consecration with the titular archbishopric see of Nicomedia on April 8, 1951 at the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica in Rome from Cardinal Adeodato Giovanni Piazza OCD., Bishop of Sabina e Poggio Mirteto. Succeeding to the metropolitan see on the following August 23 upon the death of Msgr. Ernesto Eugenio Filippi, he was named assistant at the Pontifical Throne on November 15, 1960. Transferred to the titular see of Sardica and named assessor of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation on January 19, 1961, on the following October 25 he was named secretary of the Sacred College of Cardinals. President of the Supreme Council of Immigration and of the General Secretariat International of Apostolatus Maris between 1961 and 1967, during the same period he acted as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Counselor of the Pontifical Preparatory Commission of the Second Vatican Council from 1961 until 1964, secretary of the Cardinalitial Commission for the Shrine of Pompeii between 1961 and 1965, and secretary for the Shrines of Pompeii and Loreto from 1966 until 1967, while attending the Second Vatican Council he served as secretary of the conclave of 1963. Appointed pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments on April 7, 1967, Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of June 26, 1967 with the title of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in via Tuscolana. Transferred to the metropolitan see of Palermo on June 26, 1967, he resigned the pastoral government of the archdiocese on October 17, 1970, explaining that an archdiocese with such difficult pastoral problems needed a young archbishop with fresh energies to prepare a vast program for a long term. In return, Msgr. Salvatore Pappalardo was named as his successor. Following his resignation, Carpino was appointed referendary for Relations in the Sacred Congregation for Bishops on October 19, 1970. Named cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian see of Albano on January 27, 1978, Cardinal Carpino died on October 5, 1993 at dawn in Rome, after receiving the last rites from Msgr. Alois Wagner, vice-president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, assisted by his sister Concettina Carpino. Funeral mass, celebrated by Pope John Paul II and concelebrated by thirty cardinals and numerous archbishops and bishops was held at the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica two days later at 17.30 hrs. The following day, the body of the late Cardinal was flown to Monreale from where it was transferred to Palermo, where another funeral mass was held at the local cathedral, celebrated by Msgr. Salvatore Cassisa, Archbishop of Monreale, Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo, Archbishop of Palermo, and almost all the bishops of Sicily. His body was then taken to Palazzolo Acreide, where following another requiem mass celebrated at the church of San Paolo by Msgr. Giuseppe Costanzo, Archbishop of Siracusa, he was laid to rest in the family tomb of the local cemetery. Transferred to the cemetery chapel, on September 14, 1998 his remains were moved to a definitive tomb in the metropolitan cathedral of Palermo inside the chapel of Santa Cristina. His successor, Cardinal Pappalardo is found interred in the same chapel.