Leo XIV’s Appoints Italian Bishop who is “At Home” in Mosque

Today, Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor Cesare Di Pietro as the new bishop of the Diocese of Locri-Gerace in Calabria.
Born in Messina on March 12, 1964, he was ordained a priest in 1997.
He held several institutional Church roles, including secretary to Archbishop Marra of Messina, official at the Congregation for Bishops, rector of the Messina seminary, and professor of Church History.
In 2018, Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Messina. At his first press conference, he supported “a Church open as Pope Francis wants it”.
In May 2019, he attended the Muslim Iftar dinner during Ramadan at the Islamic Center in Messina, and afterwards declared: "Today, we lived a beautiful moment united by fraternity."
In summer 2023, he attended the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the mosque in Messina. He told the congregation that he has come to celebrate the great feast, which recalls the sacrifice of Abraham our father in faith: “Here I feel at home”.
In June 2024, the Muslim community …More