Rino Fisichella

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Rino Fisichella
Pro-Prefect for the Section of New Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization
Rino.fisichella.JPG
Fisichella in 2006
Church Roman Catholic Church
Appointed5 June 2022
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination13 March 1976
by  Ugo Poletti
Consecration12 September 1998
by  Camillo Ruini
Personal details
Born
Salvatore Fisichella

(1951-08-25) 25 August 1951 (age 74)
Alma mater Pontifical Gregorian University
Coat of arms Coat of arms of Rino Fisichella.svg
Styles of
Rino Fisichella
Coat of arms of Rino Fisichella.svg
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Monsignor

Salvatore "Rino" Fisichella (born 25 August 1951) is an Italian Catholic prelate with the rank of archbishop. He has been the pro-prefect for the New Evangelization section of the Dicastery for Evangelization since 2022. He was the president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization from 2010 to 2022 and of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 2008 to 2010.

Contents

Early life and ordination

Salvatore Fisichella was born on 25 August 1951 in Codogno in the province of Lodi. [1] He is related to the Italian noble family of that name, which formed part of the Sicilian nobility. [2] Fisichella studied classics at St. Francis College in Lodi,[ citation needed ] and then prepared for the priesthood at Almo Collegio Capranica. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rome on 13 March 1976. He earned a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1980. [1]

After ordination, he held a number of positions including Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Lateran University, consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, member of the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, and vice president of the Historical-Theological Commission of that committee.

He was named a Chaplain of His Holiness in 1994. He has served as a chaplain to the Italian parliament. He is a specialist in the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar, on whom he did extensive research in 1980.

Bishop

He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Rome with the titular see of Vicohabentia on 3 July 1998 [3] and was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal Camillo Ruini on 12 September 1998.[ citation needed ] His coat of arms is inspired by the family arms. [4]

He was president of the diocesan commission on ecumenism and interfaith relations. He worked in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He was said to have collaborated in the publication of Fides et Ratio in 1998.[ citation needed ]

He was named rector of the Lateran University on 18 January 2002. [5] On 8 September 2002, he was named a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. [6]

During the Muhammad caricature controversy of 2005, Fisichella said that the freedom of the press was not absolute and not meant to be used against others. [7] He was a friend of Oriana Fallaci. [8] In 2005, he celebrated the 100th anniversary of the catechism of Saint Pius X.

When asked in 2005 if he would give Communion to Italian politicians Romano Prodi and Pier Ferdinando Casini, Fisichella responded that he "did not see a reason" for refusing Communion to Prodi, whereas Casini "knows well the rules of the Church" and does not present himself for Communion. [9]

Archbishop Rino Fisichella in Lodi in 2006. Rino.fisichella-a-lodi.JPG
Archbishop Rino Fisichella in Lodi in 2006.

Pontifical Academy of Life

On 17 June 2008, he was named president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and given the title of archbishop. [10] [11]

In December 2008, he wrote to the members of Luxembourg's legislature, which was considering legislation to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, saying a Catholic legislator has "the clear obligation to oppose any legislation that is an attack on human life" and that Catholic voters could not vote in good conscience for a legislator who voted for such a law. Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker criticized him for interfering. [12]

On 24 January 2009, he urged US President Barack Obama to listen to all voices in America without "the arrogance of those who, being in power, believe they can decide of life and death." [13] When Obama ended the ban on U.S. funding of organizations that discuss and perform abortion in the developing world, he said: "Among the many good things that he could have done, Barack Obama instead has chosen the worst. If this is one of the first acts of President Obama, with all due respect, it seems to me that the path toward disappointment has been very short." [14]

In a case that attracted international attention in 2009, when Brazilian Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho said that an abortion performed on a nine-year-old girl pregnant with twins, reportedly fathered by her stepfather, had resulted in excommunication for the mother who arranged for the abortion and the doctors who carried it out, Fisichella defended the doctors in a statement addressed to the girl: "There are others who deserve excommunication and our forgiveness, not those who permitted you to live and who will help you to regain hope and faith." He wrote: "Her life was in serious danger because of the pregnancy in progress. How to act in these cases? An arduous decision for the physician and for the moral law itself. The conscience of the physician finds itself alone when forced to decide the best thing to do. A choice like that of having to save a life, knowing that one puts a second at serious risk, never comes easily." [15] L'Osservatore Romano published Fisichella's essay critical of Sobrinho on its front page. [16] [17] Several members of the academy wrote a letter protesting Fisichella's intervention in the case. [18] In July, L'Osservatore Romano published a document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith called "Clarification on procured abortion", which declared that church teaching on abortion had not changed and will not change. [19]

Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation

On 30 June 2010, Fisichella was named the first president of the planned Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and replaced as the rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. [18] [20] He identified celebrating in 2012 the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as an early project.

In November, amid reports that high-ranking Vatican officials had protected Marciel Maciel, founder of the Legionnaires of Christ, Fisichella said investigations should focus on those inside the Legionnaires who frustrated Vatican investigations, "those who took his appointments, those who kept his agenda, those who drove him around". [21]

In February 2011, following public controversies with respect to Bishop Richard Williamson's denial of the Holocaust and the Regensburg lecture's impact on Christian-Muslim relations, Fisichella dismissed as premature the idea of assessing the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. He said: "We're still at the beginning of a pontificate, and in my opinion it's always difficult to make judgments or offer a far-ranging analysis at the beginning. ...A sense of history should make us prudent and cautious from this point of view." [22]

In August 2011, Fischella unveiled the Mission Metropolis which was to start in Lent 2012. The plan was to revive Christianity in Europe. The cities that would take part were: Barcelona, Budapest, Brussels, Dublin, Cologne, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Vienna. The plan emphasized ordinary pastoral care activities, particularly in the field of formation for the priesthood, and the implementation of activities such as reading of the Gospel and the Confessions of St Augustine .[ citation needed ]

On 10 December 2011, he was appointed to a five-year renewable term as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture. [23] On 29 December 2011, he was appointed to a similar term as a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. [24] On 7 March 2012, he was named a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. [25]

In March 2012, when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a Catholic since 2007, expressed support for same sex marriage, Fisichella said: "If the stories in the press about Blair's thinking are true, I think he should examine his conscience carefully". [26]

In May 2017, he said that Pope Benedict XVI should not use the title "Pope emeritus", "which theologically creates more problems rather than solving them". He praised Benedict XVI's decision to retire, but said he hoped another title could be found. [27]

Dicastery for Evangelization

When Pope Francis's reorganization of the Curia took effect on 5 June 2022, Fisichella became pro-prefect of one section of the new Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples: the Section of New Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization. [28] [29]

Luce was unveiled by Fisichella on 28 October 2024. He said that Luce was inspired by the Catholic church's desire "to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth". [30]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "H.E. Msgr. Rino Fisichella" (PDF). Year of Faith 2012–2013. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  2. Paticchio, Vincenzo (20 May 2016), "Mons. Rino Fisichella" (PDF), Trinità e Liberazione (in Italian), pp. 22–25, retrieved 4 February 2021
  3. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XC. 1998. p. 635. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  4. "Stemma Mons. Fisichella", Forum dell'Istituto Araldico Genealogico Italiano (in Italian), 21 June 2008, retrieved 4 February 2021
  5. "New Rector of Lateran University Takes Stock". Zenit. 25 February 2002. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  6. "New Members Picked for Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith". Zenit. 8 September 2002. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  7. "Something Rotten in Denmark?". Zenit. 11 February 2006. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. Lulli, Cecilia (18 September 2008). "Il carteggio tra la Fallaci e Fisichella 'Caro Rino, l'Alieno mi divora...'". Il Giornale (in Italian). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  9. Allen, Jr., John L. (22 October 2005). "Coverage of Bishops Synod on the Eucharist". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  10. "Rome Auxiliary Named President of Life Academy". Zenit. 17 June 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  11. "Rinunce e Nominee, 17.06.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See's Press Office. 17 June 2008.
  12. Poirier, Philippe (2012). "State and religions in Luxembourg: a 'reconciled' and 'secularized' democracy". In Foret, François; Itçaina, Xabier (eds.). Politics of Religion in Western Europe: Modernities in conflict?. Routledge. ISBN   9781136636400 . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  13. Vecchi, Gian Guido (24 January 2009). "'È l'arroganza di chi si crede nel giusto'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  14. "Obama Disappoints With Mexico City Reversal". Zenit. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  15. Rocca, Francis X. (21 March 2009). "Vatican Official Defends Child's Abortion". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  16. Fisichella, Rino (15 March 2009). "Dalla parte della bambina brasiliana". L'Osservatore Romano (in Italian). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  17. "Drifting Mines. In Africa the Condom, in Brazil Abortion". L'Espresso. 23 March 2009.
  18. 1 2 Allen Jr., John L. (30 May 2012). "Vatican academy mulls how pro-life is pro-life enough". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  19. "Clarification on procured abortion". Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  20. "Rinunce e Nomine, 30.06.2010" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 30 June 2010.
  21. "Pope: Vatican acted slowly, late in Legion scandal". Deseret News. Associated Press. 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  22. Thavis, John (1 February 2011). "'We're at the beginning of a pontificate'". Catholic News Service. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  23. "Rinunce e Nomina, 10.12.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  24. "Rinunce e Nomina, 29.12.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  25. "Rinunce e Nomina, 07.03.2012" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  26. O'Loughlin, Michael J. (13 March 2012). "Blair supports same-sex marriage, churches push back". America . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  27. Tornielli, Andrea (4 May 2017). "Fisichella: 'I do not agree with the title "Pope Emeritus"". La Stampa. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  28. "Pope Francis reforms Roman Curia with launch of Vatican constitution". Catholic News Agency. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  29. Allen, Elise Ann (19 March 2022). "Pope writes his vision for the Church into new constitution for Roman Curia". Crux. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  30. McLellan, Justin (28 October 2024). "Archbishop Rino Fisichella of Dicastery for Evangelization unveils official mascot of the Holy Year 2025: 'Luce'". The Dialog. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University
18 January 2002 – 30 June 2010
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
17 June 2008 – 30 June 2010
Succeeded by
Office established President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
30 June 2010 – 5 June 2022
Office abolished
Pro-Prefect for the Section of Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World of the Dicastery for Evangelization
5 June 2022 –
Incumbent