Fernando Filoni
Encyclopedia
Fernando Filoni is a Roman Catholic Archbishop
and current Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
with the Roman Curia
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
on 10 May 2011. Msgr. Filoni is an expert in Chinese affairs and on the Middle East
.
, Italy
. He entered the seminary and earned doctorate
s in Philosophy
and in Canon Law
from the Pontifical Lateran University
where then Fr. Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B. served as a guest professor in 1978. He was ordained as a priest on 3 July 1970. He served in the Nunciatures of Sri Lanka
from 1982 until 1983, Iran
from 1983-1985, Brasil from 1989-1992 and finally the Philippines
from 1992 until 2001. Although formally assigned to the Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines
he was based in Hong Kong. During these years he spent his most intense and important period of work, on the Holy See
’s so-called “Study Mission”, linked to the Manila Nunciature. During this time Msgr. Filoni was John Paul II’s bridge, reaching out to China’s bishops, official and non-official
Churches and bishops, reconciling the vast majority to the Holy See.
appointed Filoni Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq
and Jordan
on 17 January 2001, becoming Titular
Archbishop
of Volturnum. He received Episcopal Ordination from Pope John Paul on 19 March 2001.
Msgr. Filoni defended the freedom of the Catholic Church in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein
and – in line with the Pope’s position – opposed the US invasion of the country
. He remained in Baghdad
as American bombs fell, the only ambassador to do so, refusing to leave the capital, to which he says that "It was nothing exceptional". After the fall of Saddam he did not fail to notice some new aspects of peoples new found freedom. Yet he also warned against the lack of security and the slow development of the economy
, while supporting the new constitution
and supporting the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims
.
He came close to being killed in Baghdad on 1 February 2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature. "Thank God we survived" he stated afterward. He served in Iraq and Jordan until 25 February 2006 when he returned to the Philippines as the Nuncio.
on 9 June 2007, formally taking office on the 1 July.
It is Filoni's job to organise the activities of the Curia
and the care of official translations of papal documents and correspondence; encryption dispatches messengers to be sent to the Registry of the papal letters, the resolution of legal issues, personnel management in the Curia and nunciatures (promotions and advances), the protocol and etiquette for visiting heads of state, information and media management Vatican archive management to shipping the blessings of the Pope. He is also responsible for organizing the activities of nuncios around the world in their activities concerning the local churches. As well as speaking his native Italian he also speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Commenting on his appointment he said: “It is an act of paternal benevolence on the part of the Pontiff
, to which I respond without the slightest trepidation, but with the same willingness and profound gratitude I have had in the past. The wonderful words of Our Lord aid me at this time, those found in Luke
(17, 10), on the attitude of those called into the Christ’s service: ‘When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do'.”.
On 10th May 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Filoni Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
in succession to Cardinal Ivan Dias, who had reached retirement age and had worsening diabetes. The Prefect oversees the Catholic mission territories and is traditionally dubbed the "Red Pope" as a reflection of both the power of his congregation and the red vestments of the Cardinal Prefect. The office's sizable resources (furnished by income from its long-maintained Roman real-estate holdings) provide a significant amount of funding to the efforts of the developing church, and the congregation's cardinals are responsible for recommending appointees to the episcopacy
in mission areas, mainly African and Asian countries, a task that falls to the Congregation for Bishops
in more established locales. Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai
is Secretary (Filoni's deputy) of the Congregation. Their knowledge of China and the government-controlled Chinese church will be crucial in resolving the long standing issue between the two entities
.
Now that he is the Prefect of a Congregation, it is quite likely that he will be named a cardinal at the next consistory for that purpose.
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...
and current Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
with the 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...
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 10 May 2011. Msgr. Filoni is an expert in Chinese affairs and on the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Education and early diplomatic work
He was born near TarantoTaranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, Italy
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...
. He entered the seminary and earned doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and in Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
from 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...
where then Fr. Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B. served as a guest professor in 1978. He was ordained as a priest on 3 July 1970. He served in the Nunciatures of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
from 1982 until 1983, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
from 1983-1985, Brasil from 1989-1992 and finally the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 1992 until 2001. Although formally assigned to the Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines
Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines
The Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the Republic of the Philippines. An apostolic nuncio is equivalent to an ambassador. He is often an archbishop.-History:...
he was based in Hong Kong. During these years he spent his most intense and important period of work, on the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
’s so-called “Study Mission”, linked to the Manila Nunciature. During this time Msgr. Filoni was John Paul II’s bridge, reaching out to China’s bishops, official and non-official
Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association , abbreviated CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, is an association of people, established in 1957 by the People's Republic of China's Religious Affairs Bureau to exercise state supervision over mainland China's Catholics...
Churches and bishops, reconciling the vast majority to the Holy See.
Apostolic Nuncio
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed Filoni Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
on 17 January 2001, becoming Titular
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
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...
of Volturnum. He received Episcopal Ordination from Pope John Paul on 19 March 2001.
Msgr. Filoni defended the freedom of the Catholic Church in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and – in line with the Pope’s position – opposed the US invasion of the country
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. He remained in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
as American bombs fell, the only ambassador to do so, refusing to leave the capital, to which he says that "It was nothing exceptional". After the fall of Saddam he did not fail to notice some new aspects of peoples new found freedom. Yet he also warned against the lack of security and the slow development of the economy
Reconstruction of Iraq
Investment in post-2003 Iraq refers to international efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq since the Iraq War in 2003.Along with the economic reform of Iraq, international projects have been implemented to repair and upgrade Iraqi water and sewage treatment plants, electricity production,...
, while supporting the new constitution
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of Iraq is Iraq's fundamental law.-History:Iraq's first constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy, entered into force under the auspices of a British military occupation in 1925 and remained in effect until the 1958 revolution established a republic...
and supporting the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
He came close to being killed in Baghdad on 1 February 2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature. "Thank God we survived" he stated afterward. He served in Iraq and Jordan until 25 February 2006 when he returned to the Philippines as the Nuncio.
Roman Curia
Pope Benedict appointed Archbishop Filoni Substitute for General AffairsSecretariat of State (Vatican)
The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of Vatican City and the Holy See...
on 9 June 2007, formally taking office on the 1 July.
It is Filoni's job to organise the activities of the 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...
and the care of official translations of papal documents and correspondence; encryption dispatches messengers to be sent to the Registry of the papal letters, the resolution of legal issues, personnel management in the Curia and nunciatures (promotions and advances), the protocol and etiquette for visiting heads of state, information and media management Vatican archive management to shipping the blessings of the Pope. He is also responsible for organizing the activities of nuncios around the world in their activities concerning the local churches. As well as speaking his native Italian he also speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Commenting on his appointment he said: “It is an act of paternal benevolence on the part of the Pontiff
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, to which I respond without the slightest trepidation, but with the same willingness and profound gratitude I have had in the past. The wonderful words of Our Lord aid me at this time, those found in Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
(17, 10), on the attitude of those called into the Christ’s service: ‘When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do'.”.
On 10th May 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Filoni Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
in succession to Cardinal Ivan Dias, who had reached retirement age and had worsening diabetes. The Prefect oversees the Catholic mission territories and is traditionally dubbed the "Red Pope" as a reflection of both the power of his congregation and the red vestments of the Cardinal Prefect. The office's sizable resources (furnished by income from its long-maintained Roman real-estate holdings) provide a significant amount of funding to the efforts of the developing church, and the congregation's cardinals are responsible for recommending appointees to the episcopacy
Appointment of Catholic bishops
The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...
in mission areas, mainly African and Asian countries, a task that falls to 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...
in more established locales. Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai
Savio Hon Tai-Fai
Savio Tai Fai Hon SDB is a Roman Catholic archbishop and the current secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 23 December 2010. He had previously served as professor of Theology at the Holy Spirit Seminary of Hong Kong.Hon was...
is Secretary (Filoni's deputy) of the Congregation. Their knowledge of China and the government-controlled Chinese church will be crucial in resolving the long standing issue between the two entities
People's Republic of China – Holy See relations
There have been no official People's Republic of China – Holy See relations since 1951.The Beijing government broke off diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1951 after a complicated incident...
.
Now that he is the Prefect of a Congregation, it is quite likely that he will be named a cardinal at the next consistory for that purpose.