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Pope Francis appointed him to the Neapolitan see transferring him from the Diocese of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant’Agata de ‘Goti. 56 years old, the bishop, of Calabrian origin, in the Benevento area since 2016, has a long experience with the most disadvantaged groups, as national president of the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities (FICT)
Gabriella Ceraso – Vatican City
The successor of Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe at the head of the Archdiocese of Naples is Monsignor Domenico Battaglia, currently bishop of the Diocese of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant’Agata de ‘Goti in the province of Benevento. The Pope appointed him after accepting the resignation of Cardinal Sepe.
Calabrian by birth, originally from Satriano (CZ), Monsignor Domenico Battaglia was born on January 20, 1963, and completed his philosophical-theological studies at the Pontifical Regional Seminary “San Pio X” in Catanzaro. Ordained a priest on February 6, 1988, from the following year to 1992, he was Rector of the Baccalaureate Seminary of Catanzaro and a member of the Diocesan Commission “Justice and Peace”. Then, until 1999, he held various positions in the Archdiocese of Catanzaro Squillace as parish priest, Director of the Diocesan Office of “Missionary Cooperation between Churches”, collaborator of the “Santa Maria delle Grazie” Shrine in Torre di Ruggiero, parish collaborator in Montepaone Lido and administrator of the parish “Santa Maria di Altavilla” in Satriano. From 2008 he was canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Catanzaro until 2016, when, on June 24, he was elected by Pope Francis to the bishopric of Cerreto Sannita -Telese- Sant’Agata de ‘Goti. The episcopal consecration on September 3 and the installation at the head of the Benevento community as of October 2, 2016, choosing as the episcopal motto the words of Jesus to Bartimaeus, the blind son of Timaeus, who was sitting in the street at begging: “Courage, get up. He calls you!”
Attention to the last
Monsignor Battaglia’s special attention and involvement to the weak and marginalized: in fact he was together with drug addicts, from 1992 to 2016, leading the “Centro de Solidaridad Calabrese”, a structure linked to the Therapeutic Communities (FICT) of Don Mario Picchi of which was national president from 2006 to 2015. From 2000 to 2006 Monsignor Battaglia was also vice president of the Betania de Catanzaro Foundation (a diocesan charity-assistance work). To the most fragile he dedicated some passages of the pastoral letter of last April reflecting on the effects of the pandemic, above all a “rediscovery of fragility” and “the inconsistency of what we believed to have found the key to solving all our problems “. . And in this regard – as Avvenire reports – he wrote: “The golden statue is a savage capitalism, which thought only about profits, provoked wars to sell weapons, let the poor die in indifference, rejected the most desperate in search of Bread, building walls against them and arming the Coast Guard ships, criminalized their rescuers, had editorials written, day after day, against those who defended them (including Pope Francis), preached a constant hatred against the “different”, claimed strong men , as the only ones who could have saved nations. Some strong men, he continued, did indeed come, but mankind was not saved. On the contrary, he fell into insecurity ”.
“I will come among you like a brother who goes between brothers”
The first message to the people of God from the new Archbishop of Naples was felt, read by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe on the occasion of the announcement of the appointment. There is the gratitude of the parish priest for this office addressed to the Lord, the Pope and the Community; in the words of the prelate there is “the certainty that whoever calls him to such responsibility is the one on whom we place all our hope.” Renewing confidence in that merciful gaze of God also contained in the chosen episcopal motto, Bishop Battaglia asks his new Neapolitan community to “always trust in the gift of brotherhood, in the sharing of life and faith”; to welcome him precisely as a “brother who goes among brothers” in a city, a “treasure of the South” in which we hope and fight. Then, thanks to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe and his ministry marked by “fatherhood, familiarity and attention to charity” and the purpose: to inspire the Lord of life “criteria, pastoral plans, concrete choices and daily behaviors”.
Last update 12.12.2020 at 2.00 pm
