Angelo Comastri

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Vicar General for the Vatican City State (2005–21)
  • President of the Fabric of Saint Peter (2005–21)
    • MottoDeus Charitas Est
    Coat of armsAngelo Comastri's coat of arms

    Angelo Comastri (born 17 September 1943) is an Italian prelate of the

    Vicar General for the Vatican City State and President of the Fabric of Saint Peter from 2005 to 2021. He previously served as Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino (1990–1994) and Territorial Prelate of Loreto (1996–2005). He was named a cardinal
    in 2007.

    Biography

    Comastri was born in

    ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Luigi Boccadoro.[citation needed
    ]

    Comastri served as vice-rector of the

    Congregation for Bishops. He served as spiritual director of the Pontifical Minor Roman Seminary and a chaplain at Roman jails before returning to Pitigliano, where he became rector of the seminary in 1971. In 1979, he was named pastor of the parish of San Stefano Protomartire in Porto Santo Stefano
    . He was also a member of the diocesan college of consultors, and served as episcopal delegate for the seminarians residing outside of the diocese and professor of religion at the Professional Institute for Maritime Activities in Porto Santo Stefano.

    On 25 July 1990, Comastri was appointed Bishop of

    Italian Episcopal Conference
    .

    Comastri was named

    Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City, and Coadjutor Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.[5] He preached the Lenten spiritual exercises for Pope John Paul II and the Roman Curia in 2003 and the meditations for the Stations of the Cross in the Colosseum on Good Friday 2006.[6] Upon the retirement of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano on 31 October 2006, Comastri succeeded him as Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.[7]

    Pope Benedict XVI created him a

    Congregation for the Causes of Saints since 2005.[10]

    Comastri participated in the

    papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.[11] After ten years as a cardinal-deacon, he was raised to the rank of cardinal-priest on 19 May 2018.[12]

    In a 2020 television interview, Comastri objected to Turkey's decision to turn Hagia Sophia, once a church and long a museum, into a mosque. He said:[13]

    No mosque was ever turned into a Catholic Church, and no Catholic has ever shot at an imam. They’ve even shot the pope himself, on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square: If they want dialogue, it must be done with fair and honest weapons, with the honesty of looking into each other’s eyes and answering with facts.

    Comastri said COVID-19 "does not come from God" and that powerful states are "organizing world wars, including bacteriological wars"; he said it was possible that Chinese government research was the source of COVID-19, a charge China has denied.[13]

    Pope Francis accepted Comastri's resignation as vicar general, archpriest, and president of the Fabric on 20 February 2021.[14]

    References

    1. ^ "Comastri Card. Angelo". College of Cardinals Biographical Notes, 13 June 2008. Press Office of the Holy See. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
    2. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXII. 1990. p. 926. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
    3. ^ "Comastri Card. Angelo". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
    4. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXVIII. 1996. p. 972. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
    5. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 05.02.2005" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 5 February 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
    6. ^ "Way of the Cross to Focus on Loss of Sense of Sin". Zenit. 6 April 2006. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
    7. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 31 October 2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
    8. ^ "Concistoro, ecco i nuovi cardinali 'Rappresentano universalità della Chiesa'". La Repubblica (in Italian). 24 November 2007.
    9. ^ "Titular Churches of the new Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church". The Holy See. Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations. 24 November 2007. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
    10. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 24.10.2005" (Press release) (in Italian). Press Office of the Holy See. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
    11. ^ "List of Cardinal Electors". Zenit. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
    12. ^ "Concistoro per il voto su alcune Cause di Canonizzazione" [Consistory for the vote on several Causes for Canonization]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede (in Italian). 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
    13. ^ a b San Martín, Inés (21 July 2020). "Vatican cardinal suggest COVID-19 made in laboratory, condemns 'bacteriological wars'". Crux. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
    14. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 20.02.2021" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

    External links

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    Catholic Church titles
    Preceded by President of the Fabric of Saint Peter
    5 February 2005 – 20 February 2021     		Succeeded by
    Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City

    5 February 2005 – 20 February 2021
    Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica
    31 October 2006 – 20 February 2021
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angelo_Comastri&oldid=1172801858"