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Pierbattista Pizzaballa

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His Beatitude and Eminence

Pierbattista Pizzaballa

OFM
Pizzaballa in 2016
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseJerusalem
Appointed24 October 2020
Installed6 November 2020
PredecessorFouad Twal
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination15 September 1990
by Giacomo Biffi
Consecration10 September 2016
by Leonardo Sandri
Created cardinal30 September 2023
by Pope Francis
RankCardinal priest
Personal details
Born (1965-04-21) 21 April 1965 (age 60)
Cologno al Serio, Italy
MottoSufficit tibi gratia mea ('My grace is sufficient for you')
SignaturePierbattista Pizzaballa's signature
Coat of armsPierbattista Pizzaballa's coat of arms

Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM (Italian pronunciation: [ˌpjɛrbatˈtista pittsaˈballa]; also Petrus Battista Pizzaballa; born 21 April 1965 in Italy) is part of the Order of Friars Minor (commonly called Franciscans) founded by Francis of Assisi and a Catholic cardinal who has been serving as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020.[1]

After being received into the Franciscan Order, he spend his novitiate at the Franciscan Shrine of La Verna in Arezzo, Italy. In 1990, he was called to service in the Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem. Having obtained his diploma in classical studies at the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Ferrara,[2] in Jerusalem, he went on to study Biblical Theology at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum and taught biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical Science and Archeology in Jerusalem.[3]

From 2004 to 2016, as a leading Franciscan, he was elected and reelected twice as the Custos of the Holy Land, the head of the Franciscans watching over the Holy Places. In 1342, the Franciscans were officially declared by two papal bulls as the Catholic Church's custodians of the Holy Places. The title of Custos goes back to the Custody of the Holy Land founded in 1217 by Saint Francis of Assisi as a province of the Holy Land.

In 2016, he was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem and in 2020 became the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem, the head of Christianity's mother church. Three years later, in 2023, he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis. Following Francis' death, he was considered papabile, a possible candidate to be elected pope by the College of Cardinals, at the 2025 papal conclave albeit his relatively young age.[4][5][6]

Early life and education

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Pierbattista Pizzaballa was born in Cologno al Serio, Bergamo, son of Pietro Pizzaballa and Maria Maddalena Tadini.[7]

He is the nephew of Pierluigi Pizzaballa, a retired Italian football player.[8]

Growing up in the small hamlet of Castel Liteggio, Pizzaballa enjoyed a simple and rural lifestyle. Motivated by a desire to be like his local priest, Don Pèrsec, he entered the Franciscan Le Grazie minor seminary in Bologna in September 1976 and on 5 September 1984 entered their novitiate in La Verna.[9] He made his first vows there on 7 September 1985 and his perpetual vows in Bologna on 4 October 1989. He earned his bachelor's degree in theology at the Pontifical University Antonianum and was ordained a priest on 15 September 1990, in the Cathedral of Bologna by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi.[3]

He obtained his diploma in classical studies at the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Ferrara.[2] He studied in Biblical Theology at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem in 1993 and then taught biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical Science and Archeology in Jerusalem.[3]

Besides his native Italian, Pizzaballa speaks Hebrew, English, and Arabic.[2][10][11] At the time of his installation as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, he did not speak Arabic, which was a point of contention in the Arabic community.[12]

Presbyterate

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After completing his postgraduate studies, Pizzaballa taught Biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical and archaeological sciences in Jerusalem, was responsible for the publication of the Roman Missal in Hebrew in 1995, and translated liturgical texts in Hebrew.[2]

He joined the Franciscans working at the Custody of the Holy Land in July 1999 and was responsible for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics. On 9 May 2001, he was appointed Superior of the Convent of Saints Simeon and Anna in Jerusalem.[3] From 2005 to 2008 he served as Patriarchal Vicar.[3]

He was Custos of the Holy Land (head of the Franciscan priory known as the Custody of the Holy Land) from May 2004 to April 2016, having been elected to a six-year term in May 2004, re-elected to a three-year term in March 2010, and reconfirmed for another three-year term in 2013.[3]

In 2008 he was appointed a Consultor in the commission for relations with Judaism of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.[13]

In June 2014 Pope Francis entrusted Pizzaballa with organizing the peace prayer in the Vatican gardens, which brought together Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.[10]

Pizzaballa criticized Israel's construction of a barrier between the West Bank and Jerusalem and participated in protests against it in 2015. He also, before becoming a bishop, criticized Palestinian leaders for blaming all problems on the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.[10]

Episcopate

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Titular Archbishop of Verbe

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On 24 June 2016, Pope Francis nominated Pizzaballa as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and appointed him titular archbishop of Verbe.[3] On 10 September 2016 he was consecrated by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Archbishop Fouad Twal, and Bishop Francesco Beschi in the Bergamo Cathedral.[14] His unsually long interim tenure reflected the internal tensions between the traditional Arab-centered Patriarchate and supporters of the expansion of its pastoral care towards Israeli society.[15] The appointment of an Italian broke with tradition, as such posts are normally assigned to members of the ethnic group they predominantly serve, such as his immediate predecessors (a Palestinian and Jordanian respectively).[10]

In 2016, Pizzaballa joined the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and became its Pro Grand Prior, and then Grand Prior upon his appointment as Latin Patriarch.[16][17][failed verification] On 31 May 2017 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.[18]

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

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On 24 October 2020, Pizzaballa was appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Francis.[19] He leads the board of directors of Caritas Jerusalem.[20]

Cardinal

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On 9 July 2023, Pope Francis announced he planned to create him a cardinal at a consistory scheduled for 30 September 2023.[21] At that consistory, he was made cardinal priest of Sant'Onofrio, the official church of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.[22]

He has advocated for an end to the Gaza war and the Israeli occupation of Palestine.[23] Pizzaballa was a signatory to the "Statement on the Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza" which condemned attacks on civilians, called for de-escalation and called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. His statement was criticized by Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen.[24][25] In response, Pizzaballa condemned Hamas' actions as barbaric and offered himself as a hostage in exchange for captive Israeli children held in Gaza during the Gaza war.[26][27]

On his visit to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 2023, Pizzaballa donned a Palestinian keffiyeh and expressed a desire for peace in the region.[28] He cosigned the Christmas message released by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem advocating Christians to refrain from public celebration of the holiday in solidarity with those affected by the war.[29]

2025 papal conclave

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After the death of Pope Francis, he was considered papabile, or a likely candidate to be made Pope[30] at the 2025 papal conclave.[31][32] Analysts believe his international expertise and tendency to stay away from divisive doctrinal issues may have aided his chances, but his relatively young age could have made him being chosen as Pope unlikely.[31][33] Cardinal Robert Prevost was eventually chosen as Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.[6] After the conclave ended, the Italian newspaper Il Giornale reported that the possibility of a Pizzaballa papacy was judged as too political by the cardinals, due to his presence in the Jerusalem area.[34]

Positions

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In the leadup to the 2025 papal conclave, it was described that Pizzaballa had not stated clear positions on many contentious issues within the Catholic Church. According to Crux, a newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church, Pizzaballa's stances on things like "the blessing of people in same-sex unions or the ordination of women deacons [are] something of a mystery."[35]

Arab–Israel conflict

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Pizzaballa upholds the Catholic view of the Arab–Israel conflict, advocating for an end to the Gaza war and the occupation of Palestine by the people and government of Israel, and donned a Palestinian keffiyeh in the City of Bethlehem on 2023's Christmas Eve.[23] He believes that it has been "a watershed in interreligious dialogue, which can never be the same as before, at least between Christians, Muslims, and Jews."[36]

Pizzaballa is supportive of interfaith dialogue, noting that efforts such as Francis' 2020 encyclical Fratelli tutti have an "enormous impact" on Arab public consciousness even if they are not widely read.[37] Pizzaballa has also made a concerted effort to show solidarity with the Orthodox community in Israel, especially in the context of the ongoing war.[citation needed]

Traditional Latin Mass

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Pizzaballa has expressed some support for the Traditional Latin Mass, the liturgy that was largely replaced by the Mass of Paul VI, but still remains popular among some in Catholicism.[38]

Other

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During his tenure as head of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, the organization put out a statement denouncing the "mockery of the mystery of the mysteries in Christianity" during the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.[39]

Honors and recognition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Patriarch Pizzaballa takes possession of See of Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Right Reverend Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM". Custody of the Holy Land. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Rinunce e nomine, 24.06.2016" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Who Will Be the Next Pope? Here Are Some Possible Contenders". The New York Times. New York City. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ^ Sherwood, Harriet; Jones, Sam (21 April 2025). "Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b Hammond, Christian Edwards, Lauren Kent, Olivia Kemp, Billy Stockwell, Maureen Chowdhury, Elise (8 May 2025). "Live updates: Conclave elects Cardinal Robert Prevost to be Pope". CNN. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Patriarch Twal hands over powers to Apostolic Administrator Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa". en.abouna.org. 15 July 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018.
  8. ^ Noga Tarnopolsky (6 May 2025). "Why Pizzaballa, Jerusalem's first cardinal and an advocate for peace, could be a long-shot contender for pope". CNN. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa". College of Cardinals Report. 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d Allen Jr., John L. (22 September 2016). "Pope's potential masterstroke takes charge in the Holy Land". Crux. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  11. ^ "The first resident cardinal in Jerusalem's history". The Jerusalem Post - Christian World. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  12. ^ "Mixed reaction to appointment of Italian as Jerusalem patriarch". Arab News. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 26.04.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 26 April 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  14. ^ Bernadelli, Giorgio (11 September 2016). "Pizzaballa: 'May Jerusalem's peace be everyone's'". La Stampa. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  15. ^ Poulle, Jean-Benoît (26 April 2025). "Cónclave: ¿quién será el próximo papa? El perfil de los 19 papabiles". Le Grand Continent (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  16. ^ "The Grand Magisterium of the Order - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  17. ^ "The Grand Magisterium's autumn meeting" (PDF). Newsletter of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. 44, Fall 2016: 12.
  18. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 31.05.2017" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Pope appoints Archbishop Pizzaballa Patriarch of Jerusalem". Vatican News. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  20. ^ "The Catholic Church Of The Holy Land » Caritas Jerusalem". The Catholic Church of the Holy Land. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Le parole del Papa alla recita dell'Angelus, 09.07.2023" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Assignation of Titles and Deaconries to the new Cardinals, 30.09.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Pizzaballa in Bethlehem: May Christ be born anew in this land! - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Vatican seeks to defuse tensions with Israel as it offers mediation in the Holy Land". National Catholic Reporter. 17 October 2023.
  25. ^ Rocca, Francis X. (18 October 2023). "Israel Protests Pope Francis' Statement on Gaza". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  26. ^ Giangrave, Claire (16 October 2023). "Vatican seeks to defuse tensions with Israel as it offers mediation in the Holy Land". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  27. ^ Pullella, Philip (16 October 2023). "Jerusalem Catholic Patriarch offers to be exchanged for Gaza hostages". Reuters. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  28. ^ Bandini, Marinella (24 December 2023). "Israel-Hamas war casts pall over Christmas Eve vespers in Bethlehem". Bethlehem: Catholic News Agency.
  29. ^ Sudilovsky, Judith (20 December 2023). "In times of darkness, faith is all you have, says Cardinal Pizzaballa". Detroit Catholic.
  30. ^ "Papal front-runners: The men who could be pope | National Catholic Reporter". www.ncronline.org. Retrieved 4 May 2025. ...an Italian term for "pope-able," or possible popes...
  31. ^ a b Bubola, Emma; Povoledo, Elisabetta; Pianigiani, Gaia; MacFarquhar, Neil (21 April 2025). "Who Will Be the Next Pope? Here Are Some Possible Contenders". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  32. ^ "Who will be pope? Meet some possible contenders". PBS News. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  33. ^ White, Christopher. "Cardinal Pizzaballa, advocate for peace, is a top candidate — but probably not at this conclave". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 4 May 2025. Pizzaballa has earned high regard for both his diplomatic savvy and business acumen.
  34. ^ "La delusione italiana. Il favorito Parolin rimasto senza i voti da Africa e Asia. Decisivi pre-conclave e la "regia" di Dolan". ilGiornale.it (in Italian). 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  35. ^ "'Papabile' of the Day: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa". Crux. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  36. ^ "Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa". College of Cardinals Report. 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  37. ^ "Fratelli tutti non è letta nel mondo islamico, più importanti i gesti del Papa". Il Timone (in Italian). 10 November 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  38. ^ Fraga, Brian. "Traditionalist pope is unlikely, but these cardinals champion the Latin Mass". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  39. ^ "Regarding the beginning of the Olympic Games in France". Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  40. ^ "Il Gran Magistero dell'Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  41. ^ "The Order of Malta receives the Reverend Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land". Order of Malta. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  42. ^ "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". Segretariato generale della Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  43. ^ "His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Decorates the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land". Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Giovanni Battistelli
 Custode of the Holy Land
2004–2016 		Succeeded by
Francesco Patton
Preceded byas Bishop of Verbe — TITULAR —
Archbishop of Verbe
2016-2020 		Succeeded byas Bishop of Verbe
Vacant
Title last held by
Fouad Twal 		Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
2020– 		Incumbent
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