Funeral Held for Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, SJ

At the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter’s Basilica

Funeral Cardinal Albert Vanhoye
© Vatican Media

On Saturday, July 31, 2021, at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Funeral of Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, SJ, of the Title of Santa Maria della Mercede and Sant’Adriano took place at Villa Albani.

The funeral liturgy was celebrated by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Deputy Dean of the College of Cardinals, together with the Eminent Cardinals.

Pope Francis in a July 30 telegram, praised the late Cardinal, Rector Emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and former Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, who passed away on July 29th, and offered “heartfelt condolences” for the death.

Here is the Vatican-provided biography of the Cardinal who served the Holy See:

VANHOYE Card. Albert, S.J.

Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, S.J., Rector emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and former Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, was born on 24 July 1923 in Hazebrouck, France. He was ordained a priest for the Society of Jesus on 26 July 1954 and holds licentiates in literature, philosophy, and theology, and a doctorate in sacred scripture.


Since 1963, Cardinal Vanhoye has been a professor at the Pontifical Institute the Biblicum in Rome, where he was also Dean of the biblical faculty from 1969-1975 and Rector from 1984-1990.

He also taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Lateran University and carried out many other activities in the field of scholarship and as a member of various societies. He has also published numerous works in various languages.

Cardinal Vanhoye was a member of the Commission for the preparation of the Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana, and was a member and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Consultor of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 1980-1996; the Congregation for Catholic Education since 1976 and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1990.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 24 March 2006, of the Title of Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant’Adriano a Villa Albani (St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian at Villa Albani), Diaconry elevated pro hac vice to presbyteral title.

Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, S.J., died on 29 July 2021.