spoke fluent Italian with a Roman accent. Agagianian was a polyglot and renowned linguist. He was described as the College of Cardinals' "top linguist" in 1953. He spoke fluent Armenian (his mother language), Russian, Italian, French, English, was proficient in Latin and Hebrew, had a reading knowledge of Arabic, and learned German, Spanish, classical Greek. He had "a working knowledge of the Slavic languages and [could] speak most of the languages of the Middle and Far East." Healy noted that "his English is excellent, touched with an unidentifiable accent that probably owes something to all his other languages." Legacy In 1966, Italian journalist Alberto Cavallari wrote that Agagianian is the "undisputed leader of non-European Catholicism. He is regarded by all as one of the most powerful cardinals in the Curia and is invested with autonomous powers equaled by none except the pope." Healy argued that "he symbolize[d] the unity of the East and West in the Church" Upon his death, The New York Times wrote that "Despite his failure to win election from the Sacred College of Cardinals, [Agagianian] nevertheless made a major impact on the development of the [Catholic] church and its role in the newly developing nations." Agagianian has been called "the most celebrated Armenian Catholic in history." He was the second Armenian Catholic churchman ever to be made cardinal, after Andon Bedros IX Hassoun in 1880. Richard McBrien noted that Agagianian was "regarded by some, including fellow Eastern-rite Catholics, as more Roman than the Romans". Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston called Agagianian "one of the most brilliant Churchmen of modern times, and possessor of one of the greatest minds in the history of the Church." Norman St John-Stevas wrote of him in 1955 as "a man of distinguished presence, a fine scholar." Healy opined that he exuded "an attractive combination of modesty and wisdom." Cause of beatification and canonization Cardinal Angelo DeDonatis, Vicar General of His Holiness, issued a decree on February 4, 2020, officially commencing the process for Agagianian's beatification. The cause will be officially opened on October 28, 2022. Honors and awards Honorary degrees Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. Francis Xavier University (1951) Honorary Doctor of Letters from Fordham University (1951) Honorary Doctor of Laws from Boston College (1952) Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Santo Tomas (1958) Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Notre Dame (1960) Honorary Doctor of