Rino Fisichella
Encyclopedia
Salvatore Rino Fisichella (25 August 1951 - ) is an Italian
titular archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the current and first President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
. He previously served as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
.
in the province of Lodi
, he studied classics at St Francis College in Lodi. He received a degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University
, and was ordained a priest in 13 March 1976 for the diocese of Rome, by Ugo Poletti, Cardinal Vicar
of the Diocese of Rome
.
After ordination, he held a number of positions including Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian 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 the same Committee.
He was appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness
in 1994.
, on whom he did an extensive research in 1980. He taught fundamental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University
and the Pontifical Lateran University
and was named rector
of the Lateran on 18 January 2002. He has served as a chaplain to the Italian parliament.
of Rome and at the same time Titular Bishop
of Vicohabentia on 3 July 1998 and was later consecrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.
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.
Fisichella intervened in favour of peace during the Muhammad caricature controversy of 2005. He was a friend of Oriana Fallaci
. In 2005, he celebrated the 100th anniversary of the catechism of Saint Pius X
.
When asked as archbishop 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.
allowing for euthanasia
. 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."
He intervened in a 2009 controversy concerning the statement made on 3 March 2009 by Archbishop
Jose Cardoso Sobrinho
of Olinda and Recife about a planned abortion that on the following day was performed on a nine-year-old girl pregnant with twins, reportedly because of abuse by her stepfather. He said that the mother who arranged for the abortion and the doctors who carried it out would be excommunicated.
Archbishop Sobrinho's position aroused widespread protest in Brazil and around the world, but drew swift backing from Giovanni Battista Re, Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops
. Archbishop Fisichella, however, penned a front-page essay on the 15 March 2009 issue (published on the afternoon of 14 March) of L'Osservatore Romano
, the Vatican newspaper, that was critical of Sobrinho.
The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops had already made a declaration on the issue on 12 March 2009. Its secretary general, Bishop Dimas Lara Barbosa, pointed out that, contrary to what was being widely reported, Archbishop Sobrinho had not excommunicated anyone and had only stated that canon law
imposed an automatic excommunication on those who procured a completed abortion. The Conference explained the provisions of canon law on excommunication. Bishop Barbosa decried the idea that excommunication meant eternal damnation. Excommunication is instead a censure and thus a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change behaviour or attitude, to repent and return to full communion with the Church. If the abusive stepfather was responsible for his actions, he had placed himself out of communion not only with the Church but with God. Bishop Barbosa also pointed out the limitations that canon law places on the applicability of excommunication, especially of automatic excommunication, requiring freedom of will and awareness of the sanction, and concluded by saying: "We do not know who had or had not awareness. I can guarantee that the girl was not excommunicated. I am almost certain that the mother was not, in view of the pressure on her and the fear of losing her daughter. Even among the medical team, it depends on the degree of awareness."
The declaration of the Brazilian Bishops Conference predated by less than 48 hours publication of the article in which Fisichella mistakenly said that the case of the girl made the newspapers only because of what he called the archbishop's hasty statement that the doctors who carried out the abortion had been excommunicated. Life would not be easy for the girl whom violence had destroyed internally and would make it difficult for her to look on others with love. Thought should have been directed not to the excommunication, but to supporting her and to safeguarding her innocent life and restoring it from degradation. Unfortunately this was not done, with the result that the credibility of Catholic teaching was dented, appearing in the eyes of many to be insensitive, incomprehensible and merciless. While it was true that the girl carried within her two lives, as innocent as hers, that had been suppressed, that did not justify passing a judgment "as heavy as an executioner's axe". The girl's case faced the doctor and the moral law itself with a difficult decision, and it is offensive to believe that the doctor reached his decision lightly. Each case must be judged on its individual merits. Catholic morality has absolute principles, among which is the inadmissibility of abortion. The moral law has always condemned procured abortion as an intrinsically evil act, and this teaching remains unchanged. But there was no need for such urgency and such publicity about something that is automatic. What was most needed at that time was to be close to one who was suffering, a work of mercy that, while holding firmly to the principle, looked beyond the juridical sphere to what canon law itself envisages as the reason for its existence: the welfare and salvation of those who believe in the Father's love and who receive the good news of Christ like the children Jesus called to him and embraced, saying that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them. Fisichella concluded by addressing the girl: "We are on your side. We feel your suffering with you. We want to do everything to give you back the dignity that was taken from you and the love that you will need even more. It is others who deserve to be excommunicated and forgiven, not those who have let you live and will help you recover hope and trust. In spite of the presence of evil and in spite of the wickedness of many."
On 16 March 2009, the clergy of the archdiocese of Olinda and Recife published a protest against this attack, stressing that the local Church had in fact given the girl every attention, showing her and her mother that they were not alone. The archbishop himself spoke of the question at some length in an interview that was published on 28 May 2009. In it, he mentioned a report that Archbishop Fisichella had written the article not on his own initiative, but at the request of the Secretariat of State, which was headed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Fisichella's article drew protests also from pro-life activists all over the world, including from Brazilian medical expert Father Berardo Graz of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarulhos
and Monsignor Michel Schooyans
, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is headed by Fisichella.
In his June 2009 commentary, Schooyans asked whether Fisichella's article had been submitted to examination by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
, as is usual for statements on "delicate" matters. Perhaps as a result, L'Osservatore Romano of 11 July 2009 published a clarification by that Congregation, which declared that church teaching on abortion has not changed and will not change.
, who had served as chancellor of the academy. At the same time, Archbishop Fisichella resigned his position as Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, and Enrico dal Covolo, S.D.B. was appointed as his successor.
Shortly after his appointment, Archbishop Fisichella called for an investigation into who covered up for the Legion of Christ
's disgraced founder, Marciel Maciel. He said that "those who took his appointments, those who kept his agenda, those who drove him around." Fisichella added that Vatican suggested looking inside the Legion. "We must be able to verify how well-covered up it was inside his congregation, not outside it,"
Fisichella's task is to reawaken the faith in traditionally Christian parts of the world, particularly Europe and North America. The idea is that, while the countries within Christendom
today were first "evangelised", or converted to Christianity, many centuries ago, today it stands in need of a "new evangelisation" because of a decline of faith in the West. Its first declared project is a celebration in 2012 of the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
.
During the press conference on the release in October 2010 of the motu proprio authorizing the setting up of the new Council, the members of which were appointed in January 2011, Archbishop Fisichella stated that his new office did not yet have an internet connection, or even a computer: "Right now, I'm just hoping to get a computer in my office so I can get on the internet myself."
In February 2011 Archbishop Fisichella said that "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". Archbishop Fisichella was the first Roman Curia
official to suggest that controversies over issues such as the Richard Williamson
misstep and the Regensburg lecture registered in Pope Benedict’s first six years may not loom so large in the future. "'A sense of history should make us prudent and cautious from this point of view,'" he said.
In August 2011 Archbishop Fischella unveiled, Mission Metropolis which is to start in Lent
2012. The plan is to revive faith Christianity in Europe
. The cities that will take part are: Barcelona
, Budapest
, Brussels
, Dublin, Cologne
, Lisbon
, Liverpool
, Paris
, Turin
, Warsaw
and Vienna
. The plan comprises of two parts. First, an emphasis on ordinary pastoral care activities particularly in the field of formation
, and second, during Lent 2012, the simultaneous implementation of activities such as reading of the Word
and readings of the Confessions of St Augstine
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
titular archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the current and first President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization is a dicastery of the Roman Curia whose creation was announced by Pope Benedict XVI at vespers on 28 June 2010, eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul...
. He previously served as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
Pontifical Academy for Life
The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia Pro Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic...
.
Early life and ordination
Born in CodognoCodogno
Codogno is a town and comune in the province of Lodi, Lombardy, Italy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on June 26, 1955....
in the province of Lodi
Province of Lodi
The Province of Lodi is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lodi.It has an area of 782 km², and a total population of 209,874 . There are 61 comuni in the province . As of May 31, 2005, the main comuni by population are:- External links :...
, he studied classics at St Francis College in Lodi. He received a degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
, and was ordained a priest in 13 March 1976 for the diocese of Rome, by Ugo Poletti, Cardinal Vicar
Cardinal Vicar
Cardinal Vicar is a title commonly given to the vicar general of the diocese of Rome for the portion of the diocese within Italy. The official title, as given in the Annuario Pontificio , is "Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome"...
of the Diocese of Rome
Diocese of Rome
The Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...
.
After ordination, he held a number of positions including Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
, Member of the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee Year 2000 and Vice President of the Historical-Theological Commission of the same Committee.
He was appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1994.
Theologian
He is a specialist in the theology of Hans Urs von BalthasarHans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar was a Swiss theologian and priest who was nominated to be a cardinal of the Catholic Church...
, on whom he did an extensive research in 1980. He taught fundamental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
and the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
and was named rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Lateran on 18 January 2002. He has served as a chaplain to the Italian parliament.
Bishop
He was appointed an Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Rome and at the same time Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Vicohabentia on 3 July 1998 and was later consecrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.
He was president of the diocesan commission on ecumenism and interfaith relations. He worked in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
and in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
. He was said to have collaborated in the publication of Fides et Ratio
Fides et Ratio
Fides et Ratio is an encyclical promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 14 September 1998. It deals primarily with the relationship between faith and reason....
in 1998.
Fisichella intervened in favour of peace during the Muhammad caricature controversy of 2005. He was a friend of Oriana Fallaci
Oriana Fallaci
Oriana Fallaci was an Italian journalist, author, and political interviewer. A former partisan during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career...
. In 2005, he celebrated the 100th anniversary of the catechism of Saint Pius X
Catechism of Saint Pius X
The Catechism of Saint Pius X is a 1908 short book, issued by Pope Pius X with questions and answers regarding the essentials of Christian faith. A shortened version was published in 1930 with the addition of illustration.- Characteristics:...
.
When asked as archbishop 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.
Pontifical Academy of Life
On 17 June 2008 he was appointed Titular Archbishop of the same see and that same day assumed the presidency of the Pontifical Academy for Life. He later came out against a law in LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
allowing for euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. On 24 January 2009, he urged US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to listen to all voices in America without "the arrogance of those who, being in power, believe they can decide of life and death."
He intervened in a 2009 controversy concerning the statement made on 3 March 2009 by Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Jose Cardoso Sobrinho
José Cardoso Sobrinho
José Cardoso Sobrinho is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the cities of Olinda and Recife in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco....
of Olinda and Recife about a planned abortion that on the following day was performed on a nine-year-old girl pregnant with twins, reportedly because of abuse by her stepfather. He said that the mother who arranged for the abortion and the doctors who carried it out would be excommunicated.
Archbishop Sobrinho's position aroused widespread protest in Brazil and around the world, but drew swift backing from Giovanni Battista Re, Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
. Archbishop Fisichella, however, penned a front-page essay on the 15 March 2009 issue (published on the afternoon of 14 March) of L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano is the "semi-official" newspaper of the Holy See. It covers all the Pope's public activities, publishes editorials by important churchmen, and runs official documents after being released...
, the Vatican newspaper, that was critical of Sobrinho.
The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops had already made a declaration on the issue on 12 March 2009. Its secretary general, Bishop Dimas Lara Barbosa, pointed out that, contrary to what was being widely reported, Archbishop Sobrinho had not excommunicated anyone and had only stated that canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
imposed an automatic excommunication on those who procured a completed abortion. The Conference explained the provisions of canon law on excommunication. Bishop Barbosa decried the idea that excommunication meant eternal damnation. Excommunication is instead a censure and thus a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change behaviour or attitude, to repent and return to full communion with the Church. If the abusive stepfather was responsible for his actions, he had placed himself out of communion not only with the Church but with God. Bishop Barbosa also pointed out the limitations that canon law places on the applicability of excommunication, especially of automatic excommunication, requiring freedom of will and awareness of the sanction, and concluded by saying: "We do not know who had or had not awareness. I can guarantee that the girl was not excommunicated. I am almost certain that the mother was not, in view of the pressure on her and the fear of losing her daughter. Even among the medical team, it depends on the degree of awareness."
The declaration of the Brazilian Bishops Conference predated by less than 48 hours publication of the article in which Fisichella mistakenly said that the case of the girl made the newspapers only because of what he called the archbishop's hasty statement that the doctors who carried out the abortion had been excommunicated. Life would not be easy for the girl whom violence had destroyed internally and would make it difficult for her to look on others with love. Thought should have been directed not to the excommunication, but to supporting her and to safeguarding her innocent life and restoring it from degradation. Unfortunately this was not done, with the result that the credibility of Catholic teaching was dented, appearing in the eyes of many to be insensitive, incomprehensible and merciless. While it was true that the girl carried within her two lives, as innocent as hers, that had been suppressed, that did not justify passing a judgment "as heavy as an executioner's axe". The girl's case faced the doctor and the moral law itself with a difficult decision, and it is offensive to believe that the doctor reached his decision lightly. Each case must be judged on its individual merits. Catholic morality has absolute principles, among which is the inadmissibility of abortion. The moral law has always condemned procured abortion as an intrinsically evil act, and this teaching remains unchanged. But there was no need for such urgency and such publicity about something that is automatic. What was most needed at that time was to be close to one who was suffering, a work of mercy that, while holding firmly to the principle, looked beyond the juridical sphere to what canon law itself envisages as the reason for its existence: the welfare and salvation of those who believe in the Father's love and who receive the good news of Christ like the children Jesus called to him and embraced, saying that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them. Fisichella concluded by addressing the girl: "We are on your side. We feel your suffering with you. We want to do everything to give you back the dignity that was taken from you and the love that you will need even more. It is others who deserve to be excommunicated and forgiven, not those who have let you live and will help you recover hope and trust. In spite of the presence of evil and in spite of the wickedness of many."
On 16 March 2009, the clergy of the archdiocese of Olinda and Recife published a protest against this attack, stressing that the local Church had in fact given the girl every attention, showing her and her mother that they were not alone. The archbishop himself spoke of the question at some length in an interview that was published on 28 May 2009. In it, he mentioned a report that Archbishop Fisichella had written the article not on his own initiative, but at the request of the Secretariat of State, which was headed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Fisichella's article drew protests also from pro-life activists all over the world, including from Brazilian medical expert Father Berardo Graz of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarulhos
Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarulhos
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarulhos is a diocese located in the city of Guarulhos in the Ecclesiastical province of São Paulo in Brazil.-History:* January 30, 1981: Established as Diocese of Guarulhos from the Diocese of Mogi das Cruzes-Leadership:...
and Monsignor Michel Schooyans
Michel Schooyans
Michel Schooyans has a doctorate in philosophy and theology and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels....
, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is headed by Fisichella.
In his June 2009 commentary, Schooyans asked whether Fisichella's article had been submitted to examination by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
, as is usual for statements on "delicate" matters. Perhaps as a result, L'Osservatore Romano of 11 July 2009 published a clarification by that Congregation, which declared that church teaching on abortion has not changed and will not change.
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
On 30 June 2010, Fisichella was appointed as the first President of the planned Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation. He was replaced as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life by Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de PaulaIgnacio Carrasco de Paula
Ignacio Carrasco de Paula is the current president of the Pontifical Academy for Life since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 30 June 2010....
, who had served as chancellor of the academy. At the same time, Archbishop Fisichella resigned his position as Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, and Enrico dal Covolo, S.D.B. was appointed as his successor.
Shortly after his appointment, Archbishop Fisichella called for an investigation into who covered up for the Legion of Christ
Legion of Christ
The Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation of pontifical right, made up of priests and seminarians studying for the priesthood. It was founded in Mexico in 1941, by Fr. Marcial Maciel, who directed the congregation as its General Superior until January 2005...
's disgraced founder, Marciel Maciel. He said that "those who took his appointments, those who kept his agenda, those who drove him around." Fisichella added that Vatican suggested looking inside the Legion. "We must be able to verify how well-covered up it was inside his congregation, not outside it,"
Fisichella's task is to reawaken the faith in traditionally Christian parts of the world, particularly Europe and North America. The idea is that, while the countries within Christendom
Christendom
Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
today were first "evangelised", or converted to Christianity, many centuries ago, today it stands in need of a "new evangelisation" because of a decline of faith in the West. Its first declared project is a celebration in 2012 of the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
.
During the press conference on the release in October 2010 of the motu proprio authorizing the setting up of the new Council, the members of which were appointed in January 2011, Archbishop Fisichella stated that his new office did not yet have an internet connection, or even a computer: "Right now, I'm just hoping to get a computer in my office so I can get on the internet myself."
In February 2011 Archbishop Fisichella said that "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". Archbishop Fisichella was the first Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
official to suggest that controversies over issues such as the Richard Williamson
Richard Williamson
Richard Nelson Williamson, is an English traditionalist Catholic and bishop who is a member of the Society of St. Pius X . Williamson opposes the changes in the Catholic Church brought about by the Second Vatican Council...
misstep and the Regensburg lecture registered in Pope Benedict’s first six years may not loom so large in the future. "'A sense of history should make us prudent and cautious from this point of view,'" he said.
In August 2011 Archbishop Fischella unveiled, Mission Metropolis which is to start in Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
2012. The plan is to revive faith Christianity in Europe
Christianity in Europe
Christianity is the largest religion in Europe. Christianity has been practiced in Europe since the 1st century, and a number of the Pauline Epistles were odireted at Christians living in Macedonia, as well as Rome.- Early history :...
. The cities that will take part are: Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Dublin, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The plan comprises of two parts. First, an emphasis on ordinary pastoral care activities particularly in the field of formation
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, and second, during Lent 2012, the simultaneous implementation of activities such as reading of the Word
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and readings of the Confessions of St Augstine
Confessions (St. Augustine)
Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written between AD 397 and AD 398. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of St...
.
See also
- José Cardoso SobrinhoJosé Cardoso SobrinhoJosé Cardoso Sobrinho is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the cities of Olinda and Recife in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco....
- The Roman Catholic Church and Abortion
- Roman CuriaRoman CuriaThe Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
- Diocese of RomeDiocese of RomeThe Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...