Mario Zenari

His Eminence Mario Zenari
Cardinal Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to Syria
Zenari in 2022.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	30 December 2008
Predecessor	Giovanni Battista Morandini
Other post	Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri
Previous posts	Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka (2004–08) Apostolic Nuncio to Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Burkina Faso (1999–2004) Permanent Observer to the Office of the U.N. and Specialized Institutions in Vienna, Permanent Observer to the U.N.Industrial Development Organization (1994–99), Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (1994–99) Titular Archbishop of Iulium Carnicum (1999–2016)
Orders
Ordination	5 July 1970 by  Giuseppe Carraro
Consecration	25 September 1999 by  Angelo Sodano
Created cardinal	19 November 2016 by Pope Francis
Rank	Cardinal Deacon
Personal details
Born	Mario Zenari (1946-01-05) 5 January 1946 (age 80) Rosegaferro, Verona, Italy
Motto	Levate Oculos Vestros (Lift up your eyes)
Coat of arms

Ordination history of Mario Zenari
History Priestly ordination Date 5 July 1970 Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Angelo Sodano Co-consecrators Flavio Roberto Carraro, OFM Cap. Marcello Zago, OMI Date 25 September 1999 Cardinalate Elevated by Pope Francis Date 19 November 2016
Styles of Mario Zenari Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Religious style Cardinal Informal style Cardinal Mario Zenari (born 5 January 1946) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 2016. He has served his entire ecclesiastical career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, holding senior positions beginning in 1999. He was nuncio to Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2008 and to Syria from 2008 to 2026. Life Mario Zenari was born in 1946 in Rosegaferro. He was ordained a priest on 5 July 1970 in Verona from Bishop Giuseppe Carraro. [1] To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1976. [2] Diplomatic career On 7 February 1994, Pope John Paul II appointed him to several diplomatic positions as papal representative to non-governmental organizations in Vienna. [3] And on 15 June he was given the title monsignor as a Prelate of Honour of His Holiness. [4] He was named Titular Archbishop of Iulium Carnicum and apostolic nuncio to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Côte d'Ivoire on 12 July 1999. [5] He received his episcopal consecration on 25 September 1999 from Cardinal Angelo Sodano. [6] On 10 May 2004, he was named the nuncio to Sri Lanka. [7] On 30 December 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him nuncio to Syria [8] where he was stationed during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011. Pope Francis on 9 October 2016 announced that he would make Zenari a cardinal in the November consistory, citing his work for the "beloved and martyred Syria". [9] He was made a Cardinal Deacon and assigned to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri. [10] Francis made him a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 23 December 2017. [11] Zenari participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. [12] He later bestowed the pallium on Pope Leo at his inaugural Mass. [13] On 2 February 2026, Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation as nuncio to Syria. [14] See also Cardinals created by Francis List of heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See References "ZENARI Card. Mario". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2025-09-04. "Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999" (in Italian). Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy . Retrieved 2 February 2020. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF) (in Italian). Vol. LXXXVI. 1994. p. 452. Rappresentante Permanente della Santa Sede presso l'Agenzia Internazionale dell'Energia Atomica, Osservatore Permanente della Santa Sede presso l'Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per lo Sviluppo Industriale e presso l'Ufficio delle Nazioni Unite e Capo della Delegazione della Santa Sede presso le Istituzioni della Conferenza sulla Sicurezza e Cooperazione in Europa a Vienna Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXVI. 1994. p. 1014. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXXI. 1999. p. 920. "Mario Cardinal Zenari [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2020-05-30. "Rinunce e Nomine, 10.05.2004" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 10 May 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2019. "Rinunce e Nomine, 30.12.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2019. "Annuncio di Concistoro il 19 novembre per la creazione di nuovi Cardianali" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016. "Titular churches and diaconates of the new cardinals, 19.11.2016" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016. "Resignations and Appointments, 23.12.2017" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017. "Cardinal Electors". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. 6 May 2025. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025. "Pope Leo begins papacy calling for 'united church' in a wounded world". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025. "Resignations and Appointments, 02.02.2026" . Retrieved February 2, 2026. External links "Zenari Card. Mario". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2017. "Msgr. Zenari, Cardinal in Damascus: Amid war and violence, Pope points to peace through diplomacy". Asia News. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2017. Catholic Hierarchy Catholic Church titles Preceded by Alfred Kipkoech Arap Rotich Titular Archbishop of Iulium Carnicum 1999–2016 Succeeded by Pedro Sergio de Jesús Mena Díaz Preceded by Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri 2016–present Incumbent Diplomatic posts Preceded by Luigi Ventura Apostolic Nuncio to the Ivory Coast, Niger and Burkina Faso 1999–2004 Succeeded by Mario Roberto Cassari Preceded by Thomas Yeh Sheng-nan Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka 2004–2008 Succeeded by Joseph Spiteri Preceded by Giovanni Battista Morandini Apostolic Nuncio to Syria 2008–2026 Succeeded by vacant This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.