Cardinal Domenico Calcagno is an Italian prelate and retired senior Vatican official who ran the Holy See’s management of real estate and investments from 2011 until he retired in 2018 during which he was involved in some financial controversies.

Born on February 3, 1943, in Tramontana di Parodi, Ligure, Italy, Calcagno has had a long and varied career within the Catholic Church. He was ordained as a priest on February 25, 1967, and holds a BA in philosophy and a doctorate in dogmatic theology.

Calcagno began his service to the Church as a rector of the Oratorio di Sant’Erasmo in Genoa-Quinto for 20 years. During this time, he also taught theology at the Major Seminary in Genoa and fundamental morals at the Interdiocesan Theological Studium in Alessandria.

In 1985, Calcagno was appointed President of the Diocesan Institute for the Support of the Diocesan Clergy of Genoa. He later moved to Rome, taking on several important roles, including secretary of the Italian Presbyteral Commission, national director of the Office for Inter-Church Missionary Cooperation, and President of the Central Institute for the Support of the Clergy.

Calcagno received episcopal ordination on March 9, 2002, when he was appointed Bishop of Savona-Noli. He resigned from this position on August 31, 2007, to become Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) with the title of archbishop ad personam.

On November 24, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Calcagno to the rank of cardinal. He served as President of APSA from July 7, 2011, until his retirement on June 26, 2018.

Despite his distinguished career, Cardinal Calcagno has not been without controversy. He was under investigation for real estate dealings in his previous Italian diocese, which raised concerns about financial corruption within the Church.

Also, while not directly implicated, Calcagno was part of the Vatican establishment that resisted financial reforms proposed by Cardinal George Pell. He was also involved in a €100 million purchase of a London property in 2015 that Pell had opposed and which was later viewed as a loss-making mistake.

It is important to note that while Calcagno was not explicitly named as an opponent to Pell’s reforms, his position as president of APSA during this period placed him at the center of the financial system that was under scrutiny.