100th anniversary of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's birth, L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, published a letter by Casaroli that praised the "astonishing resonance of his research, as well as the brilliance of his personality and richness of his thinking." Casaroli wrote that Teilhard had anticipated John Paul II's call to "be not afraid", embracing "culture, civilization and progress". The letter was antedated 12 May 1981, the day prior to the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II, but was published during his convalescence. On 20 July 1981, a communiqué of the Press Office of the Holy See stated that the letter did not change the position of the warning issued by the Holy Office on 30 June 1962, which pointed out that Chardin's work contained ambiguities and grave doctrinal errors. Honors Honorary degree, University of Pavia, 1991 In popular culture Cardinal Casaroli was portrayed by veteran character actor Ben Gazzara in the 2005 miniseries, Pope John Paul II. References Additional sources Alberto Melloni (ed), Il Filo Sottile: L'Ostpolitik vaticana di Agostino Casaroli (Bologna: Società Editrice il Mulino, 2006) (Santa Sede e Politica nel Novecento, 4.). Marco Lavopa, « Mgr Agostino CASAROLI un habile "tisseur de dialogues européens" (1963 – 1975)», Revue de l’histoire des religione, an. 2014, vol. 1, pp. 101-115, Armand Colin, Paris. Marco Lavopa, « Le 'dialogue de compromis'. L’Ostpolitik vaticane de Mgr. Agostino Casaroli dans la Yougoslavie de Tito », Revue d’histoire diplomatique, an. 2013, vol. 2, pp. 157-178, A. Pedone, Paris. Marco Lavopa, La diplomazia dei 'piccoli passi'. L’Ostpolitik vaticana di Mons Agostino Casaroli'', GBE, Roma 2013. Marco Lavopa, « Les acteurs religieux ont-ils des pratiques diplomatiques spécifiques? La politique orientale vaticane et la "méthode Casaroli" dans le temps present », "Revue suisse d'histoire religieuse et culturelle", Academic Press of Fribourg, an. 2019, vol. 113, pp. 319−344. External links Official website BBC report on his death Article on his memoirs 1914 births 1998 deaths Presidents of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State People from the Province of Piacenza 20th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Porto Diplomats of the Holy See Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy alumni Pontifical Lateran University alumni Cardinal Secretaries of State Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II