Early life and priesthood Giovanni Colombo was born in
Caronno Pertusella, Lombardy, the sixth of the seven children of Enrico and Luigia (née Millefanti) Colombo. His mother worked as a shirt-
maker and
embroiderer. Colombo was
baptized two days after his birth, on 8 December. Initially studying with the
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in
Ivrea, he then attended
seminaries in
Seveso,
Monza, and
Milan (where he obtained a
doctorate in theology in 1926), and received a
doctorate in letters from the
Catholic University of Milan in 1932. Receiving the clerical
tonsure on 26 May 1923, Colombo was
ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal
Eugenio Tosi,
OSSCA, on 29 May 1926 in the
Cathedral of Milan. He was made Professor of Letters at the Seveso seminary in October of that same year. At the seminary in
Venegono Inferiore, he served as Professor of Italian (named in October 1931), Professor of Sacred Eloquence (1932–1944), and
rector (2 August 1939 – 1953). Professor of Italian language and literature at the Faculties of Education and of Letters and Philosophy of the Catholic University of Sacro Cuore of Milan, 1937–1939. Colombo was raised to the rank of
Monsignor on 7 December 1948 and later Rector Major of the Seminaries of Milan on 23 July 1953. On 30 August 1954, he administered
Extreme Unction to
Ildefonso Schuster, who was
beatified in 1991.
Archbishop On 25 October 1960, Colombo was appointed
Auxiliary Bishop of
Milan and
Titular Bishop of Philippopolis in Arabia. He received his
episcopal consecration on the following 7 December from Cardinal
Giovanni Battista Montini, with Archbishop Anacleto Cazzaniga and Bishop Giuseppe Schiavini serving as
co-consecrators. Sitting on the
Conciliar preparatory commissions for seminaries and universities, Colombo attended the
Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). After Montini was elected
Pope Paul VI, he named Colombo to succeed him as
Archbishop of Milan on 10 August 1963. Along with
Bernardus Johannes Alfrink, he assisted
Achille Liénart in delivering one of the closing messages of the council on 8 December 1965. On 6 January 1965, he presided at the ceremonies marking the completion of the construction of the Milan Cathedral, begun in 1397, by blessing the last of its five bronze doors and celebrating Mass.
Cardinal and death He was created
Cardinal-Priest of
Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti by Pope Paul VI in the
consistory of 22 February 1965, and was one of the
cardinal electors who participated in the
conclaves of
August and
October 1978. In the latter conclave, although ill, he obtained many votes as a compromise candidate between
Giuseppe Siri and
Giovanni Benelli, but he stated that he would decline the
papacy in the event of his election. He retired as archbishop of Milan on 29 December 1979. Colombo died in Milan, at age 89. He is buried under the pavement of the right side
nave in front of the altar that contains the remains of Blessed Cardinal Schuster in Milan Cathedral. ==References==