Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, Italy

The Holy Father Francis has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela the Rev. Msgr. Cesare Di Pietro, vicar general of the same archdiocese, assigning him the titular see of Nicopoli all’Jantra.

H.E. Msgr. Cesare Di Pietro

Msgr. Cesare Di Pietro was born in Messina, in the archdiocese and province of the same name, on 12 March 1964. After his classical studies he graduated in law from the University of Messina. For six years he was diocesan president of the male youth in Catholic Action. From 1991, the year of his entry into the archiepiscopal seminary, he attended the Theological Institute of Saint Thomas, receiving a bachelor’s degree.

He was ordained a priest on 25 October 1997 and incardinated in the archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela.

He obtained a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and attended the two-year course in palaeography, archivism and diplomatics in the Vatican. In 2017 he obtained a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University.

He was a special secretary of the Archbishop H.E. Msgr. Giovanni Marra (1999-2005), secretary in the Secretariat of the Congregation for Bishops and pastoral collaborator in the parish of Saint Pius V of Rome (2005-2010), and rector of the archiepiscopal seminary of Saint Pius X of Messina (2010-2018). In addition, from 2014 to 2017 he was director of the “Santa Maria della Lettera” Institute of Religious Sciences of Messina.

Since 15 August 2017 he has served as vicar general of the archdiocese. He is also a member of the diocesan commission for Orders and Ministries. In 2009 he was named chaplain of His Holiness.