Roman Catholic Cardinal. Neunkirchen born Alfons Maria Stickler was the second of twelve children born to Mikeal Stickler, owner of book binding business, and his wife Teresa Schachner. An uncle of his, who was a diocesan priest, sent him to the Salesian school in Vienna, which Society he eventually entered in Ensdorf, Germany, on August 1, 1927. Making his first religious profession on August 15, 1928, Stickler served as teacher for three years in the named Salesian school of Vienna, where at the same time he concluded his scientific studies in 1931. Sent to Turin to further his theological formation in 1935 and a year later to Rome to conclude them, he attended the Institute Utriusque Iuris, the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant'Apollinare and the Pontifical Lateran University, earning a doctorate in utroque iure in both canon and civil laws in July 1940. Ordained priest on March 27, 1937 at the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica in Rome, he was appointed faculty member of the canon law faculty at Salesian University of Turin of which he served as dean between 1953 and 1958, during which period the University was moved to Rome. Furthermore he served as its rector from 1958 until 1966. President of the newly founded Institutum Altioris Latinitis, he was named prefect of the Apostolic Vatican Library on March 25, 1971. Serving as vice-president of the International Association of History of Laws and Institutions and member of numerous legal and historical academies, he was awarded a doctorate 'honoris causa' in law by the Universities of Münich, Innsbruck and Salzburg. On September 8, 1983, he was elected archbishop of the titular see of Bolsena and named pro-librarian of the Vatican Library and pro-archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following November 1 from Pope John Paul II in the Sistine Chapel. The same Pontiff created him cardinal deacon with the deaconry of San Giorgio in Velabro in the consistory of May 25, 1985 and named him librarian and archivist. During his tenure, he promoted the construction of underground storage for the conservation and consultation of all the codices and printed books of the library. Leaving office on July 1, 1988, he opted for the order of priests with his deaconry elevated 'pro hac vice' to title on January 29, 1996. Cardinal Stickler died on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, at 7.30 pm., in his apartment in the palace of the Holy Office at the Vatican City. The exequies, presided by Pope Benedict XVI, took place on Friday December 14, at 5 pm., in the altar of the chair of Saint Peter's Vatican Basilica. Interment followed in the cemetery of the Salesian community in the catacombs of San Callisto in Rome. A known conservative who was a strong supporter of the Tridentine mass and clerical celibacy, by the time of his death, Stickler was the oldest member of the Sacred College of Cardinals.