Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of the small town Villafranca Sicula, Salvatore Pappalardo entered the Pontifical Roman Seminary, successively furthering his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and the Pontifical Lateran Athenaeum. Ordained priest on April 12, 1941 in Rome by Msgr. Luigi Traglia, in the same ceremony was ordained Msgr. Giovanni Canestri, future Cardinal Archbishop of Genoa. Following his ordination, he pursued further studies between 1942 and 1947. Appointed staff member of the Secretariat of State in 1947, a position he held till 1965, on June 21, 1951 Pappalardo was named privy chamberlain of His Holiness, being later reappointed on October 28, 1958. Appointed faculty member of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and of the Pontifical Lateran University, he was named domestic prelate of His Holiness on May 19, 1961. Elected archbishop of the titular see of Mileto and appointed pro-nuncio in Indonesia, he received his episcopal consecration in the chapel of the Major Roman Seminary on January 16, 1966 from Cardinal Amleto Giovanni Cicognani. After four years in Jakarta, Pappalardo was named president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy on May 7, 1969, being named shortly afterwards archbishop of the metropolitan see of Palermo on October 17, 1970 after Cardinal Francesco Carpino's resignation from the pastoral government of the archdiocese, explaining that such a see with many pastoral problems needed a young ordinary with fresh energies to prepare a vast program for a long term. Pope Paul VI created Pappalardo cardinal priest in the consistory of March 5, 1973 with the title of Santa Maria d'Itria al Tritone, which title was later changed to Santa Maria Odigitria dei Siciliani. Visiting Malta as a special Papal envoy to the 16th International Marian Congress which was held from September 15 to 18, 1983, he also acted as special Papal envoy to the 22nd National Eucharistic Congress held in Reggio Calabria, Italy, between June 5 and 12, 1988. The slayings of prominent anti-Mafia prosecutors prompted the Cardinal to publicly denounce the Mafia for over twenty five years, for example during the funeral of Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, a general of the Italian Carabinieri who was brutally murdered in Palermo on September 3, 1982. Tito Livio's Latin phrase "dum Romae consulitur, Saguntum expugnatur", quoted by the Cardinal in his homily accused the central government in Rome of looking the other way while the Mafia dominated. Distinguishing himself with his strong public criticism of the Cosa Nostra, following the brutal assassination of Palermitan magistrate Giovanni Falcone at Capaci on May 23, 1992, he gave a moving and harsh speech at Palermo's cathedral during the funeral of the late magistrate, his wife and three of their bodyguards. Quoting directly from Italian part of his speech, Pappalardo without any fear said: "Ma e certamente motivo, e lo sappiamo, di particolare sgomento l'avere appreso che il giudice Falcone si muoveva in via e con mezzi che dovevano rimanere coperti dal piu sicuro riserbo. Chi li conosceva? Chi li ha rivelati ai nemici dei giudici? Mandante ed esecutori." President of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference and vice-president of the Italian Bishop's Conference, President Sandro Pertini decorated him with the title of knight of the grand cross of the Italian Republic. Retiring from the pastoral government of his see on April 4, 1996, on Friday, December 8, 2006, feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, Cardinal Pappalardo celebrated what was to be his last mass at the parish church of St. Gregory the Great in Boccadifalco, Palermo. On Sunday, December 10, 2006, in the early hours of the morning, the Cardinal died unexpectedly at the Casa Diocesana of Piazza Baida, 1 in Palermo. Starting from 5 pm of that very same day, his body was exposed in the Filangeri hall of the archiepiscopal palace for priests to visit. From 6 pm, the faithful were also able to visit and pay their respects. The lying in state continued all night and on Monday, December 11. Hundreds of Sicilians visited his exposed body, showing their gratitude for his interventions through the years as a foe to the Mafia. At 7 pm, his body was transferred to the metropolitan cathedral and exposed until midnight. At 9 pm there was a prayer vigil in the cathedral conducted by the archiepiscopal seminary. On Tuesday, December 12, from 7 am to noon, the exposition continued. Masses were celebrated in the morning at 7 am, 7.45 am and 9 am. At 10 am, a celebration of the office of readings by the metropolitan cathedral chapter took place. The cathedral reopened at 3 pm. An hour later, the exequial mass was celebrated by Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, Archbishop of Palermo and successor of the late Cardinal, who also delivered the homily. The bishops of Sicily, the metropolitan and Palatine chapters as well as several priests concelebrated in the funeral. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided the ceremony in the name of Pope Benedict XVI. Msgr. Paolo Romeo, apostolic nuncio in Italy also participated in the ceremony. Immediately after the mass, Pappalardo was buried in the left side wall of the chapel of Santa Cristina in the metropolitan cathedral of Palermo, where the remains his predecessor, Cardinal Francesco Carpino also lie at rest.