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The appointment is for this morning, at 11:45, in the Curia. The call came yesterday afternoon, when it seemed that time was running out. Cardinal Sepe, as Mattino anticipated, has summoned the Episcopal vicars and deans to announce the name of who will take his place. It is Domenico Battaglia – bishop of the diocese of Cerreto Sannita, Telese and Sant’Agata de ‘Goti – yesterday having lunch at the Episcope for the delivery. A meeting that no one was aware of, hidden even from the cardinal’s closest collaborators, oblivious to the presence in the Palazzo of the illustrious guest. An informal talk, that of Sepe and Battaglia, a moment of absolute conviviality wanted by the archbishop himself to inform Don Mimmo -as he likes to call Monsignor Battaglia- of the work carried out in recent years, of future plans and, more in general, of life in the Neapolitan Curia. The Pope, therefore, as he had said in recent days, has formalized the appointment of the new bishop of Naples on the day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12. Today, in fact, he will grant all the faithful of the world the possibility of obtaining, by staying at home, the plenary indulgence on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the coronation of the Virgin. This morning at 11, Bergoglio will celebrate Holy Mass on the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, shortly after Sepe hands over the baton to Battaglia.
READ ALSO New Cardinal of Naples, expectations grow: Battaglia remains the favorite
THE SUCCESSOR
Born in Satriano, in the province of Catanzaro, on January 20, 1963, Battaglia stood out for his great social commitment and openly progressive positions in many areas of ecclesial life, in full agreement – those who know him well say – with the framework of the pontificate. by Francesco. And precisely the audience with him -on January 3 at the Vatican- was one of the signs that immediately let us think about his possible appointment to the archdiocese of Naples. After his philosophical-theological studies at the Pontifical Regional Seminary of Saint Pius X in Catanzaro, Father Mimmo Battaglia was ordained a priest in 1988, characterizing his priestly mandate in the name of solidarity, winning – by his intense activity in the service of the smaller – the denomination of street priest in front of the Calabrian Solidarity Center (community dedicated to the treatment and recovery of drug addicts). Here he is called upon his return from Africa, where he had decided to return and where he was convinced that his entire priestly life would unfold. From 2006 to 2015, following the same path against drug addiction, he also held the position of national president of the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities. But Battaglia’s curriculum does not end there: he was also rector of the Catanzaro high school seminary, holding numerous positions over time in various parishes and religious institutes in Calabria.
ID
His episcopal appointment dates back to June 24, 2016 when Pope Francis called him to lead the diocese of Cerreto Sannita while his ordination is on September 3 at Catanzaro Cathedral. He will take possession of that diocese only on October 2, officially entering the Cathedral of Cerreto Sannita. It is not yet known when Don Mimmo from Cerreto Sannita will be transferred to the Curia in Largo Donnaregina.. On the other hand, it is certain that Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe as Apostolic Administrator will preside over the Christmas celebrations -in compliance with the anti-Covid regulations-. From the official appointment, therefore from today, there will be two months for the final transfer.
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