Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Agrigento (Italy), was born in Messina, Italy, on 22 May 1946. He carried out his higher studies in philosophy and theology at the S. Pio X archiepiscopal seminary in Messina.

He was ordained a priest on 8 August 1969, and was incardinated to the Archdiocese of Messina.

He attended courses in pastoral theology at the Ignatium in Messina, and exercised his priestly ministry in the outskirts of the same town from 1969 to 1971. From 1971 to 1978 he was personal secretary of the late Archbishop Francesco Fasola and Archbishop Ignazio Cannavò.

From 1978 to 1988 he served as parish priest in the S. Clemente parish in Messina. In 1988 he was appointed as director of Diocesan Caritas, regional delegate of Caritas and Regional Representative at the National Caritas.

He has also worked as a religion teacher, diocesan assistant to the Italian Sport Centre, diocesan director of the Apostolate of Prayer, functionary of the Chapter of the Archimandrite, rector of the S. Rita church-shrine and spiritual director for the minor seminary. He was also a member of the presbyteral council.

From 1997 to 2000 he served as general pro-vicar of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, and, from 1998, as canon of the Proto-Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral of Messina.

He was assigned to the Titular See of Aurusuliana and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela on 18 March 2000. He received episcopal ordination on 29 April of the same year.

He was president of Italian Caritas from May 2003 to May 2008 and again since 2015.

On 23 February 2008 he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Metropolitan Archbishop of Agrigento.

Since 2013 he has served as president of the Episcopal Commission for Migration within the Italian Episcopal Conference, and president of the Migrantes Foundation.

On 8 July 2013, he welcomed Pope Francis in Lampedusa during the first trip of his Pontificate.

Since 22 May 2021 he is Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Agrigento.

He was appointed by Pope Francis to participat in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015).

He was created and proclaimed cardinal by Pope Francis in the Consistory of 14 February 2015, and was assigned the titular church Santi Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio.

Member of:

Dicasteries: for the Causes of Saints; for Promoting Integral Human Development.