Roman Catholic Cardinal. Omegna born Ugo Poletti entered seminary in Novara and was ordained priest on June 29, 1938. Vice-rector of the theological seminary and bursar of the diocesan seminary of Novara between 1938 and 1946, he was appointed pro-vicar general of the diocese of Novara and named Protonotary Apostolic of His Holiness on June 16, 1955. Elected auxiliary for the said diocese, he received his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Medeli on September 14, 1958. President of the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies between 1964 and 1967, Poletti was promoted to the archiepiscopal see of Spoleto on June 26, 1967. Transferred to the titular see of Cittanova and appointed second vice-gerent of Rome on July 3, 1969, he was named pro-vicar general of Rome and its districts on October 13, 1972. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of March 5, 1973, with the title of Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo and appointed him vicar general of Rome and its districts the next day. Named archpriest of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica on March 26, 1973, he served as Papal legate to the opening of Holy Door at the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica on December 24, 1974 and again on December 24, 1983. President of the Italian Episcopal Conference from 1985 to 1991, he resigned the vicariate on January 17 of the latter year, being appointed archpriest of the Patriarchal Liberian Basilica that same day. A beloved figure throughout Rome, who showed deep compassion with the poor of the city, holding an active pastoral action and working closely with his parish priests, Poletti succumbed to a sudden heart attack on February 25, 1997 while recovered at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, having been a long time sufferer from erysipelas or Saint Anthony's Fire. His remains lie buried in the chapel of Santa Lucia inside the Patriarchal Liberian Basilica of Rome.