The Military Ordinariate in Italy () is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

military ordinariate of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It provides

pastoral care ''The Book of Pastoral Rule'' (Latin: ''Liber Regulae Pastoralis'', ''Regula Pastoralis'' or ''Cura Pastoralis'' — sometimes translated into English ''Pastoral Care'') is a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy written by Pope Greg ...

to Catholics serving in the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces (, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth Military branch, branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's Gendarmerie, military police an ...

and their families. The ordinariate is immediately exempt to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

History

It was established as a military vicariate on 6 March 1925, but the first military vicar was not appointed until 23 April 1929. It was elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. The

Episcopal seat A cathedral is a church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an episcop ...

is located at the Church of St. Catharine of Siena in Magnanapoli (''Chiesa Principale di Santa Catarina da Siena a Magnanapoli'') in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Office holders

Military vicars

* Angelo Bartolomasi (appointed 23 April 1929 – retired 1944) * Carlo Alberto Ferrero di Cavallerleone (appointed 28 October 1944 – resigned 4 November 1953) * Arrigo Pintonello (appointed 4 November 1953 – appointed

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

Velletri Velletri (; ; ) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring communes are Rocca di Papa, Lar ...

1 May 1965) * Luigi Maffeo (appointed 16 January 1966 – died 7 May 1971) * Mario Schierano (appointed 28 August 1971 – resigned 27 October 1981) * Gaetano Bonicelli (appointed 28 October 1981 – became Military Ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

* Gaetano Bonicelli (appointed 21 July 1986 – translated to the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino 14 November 1989) * Giovanni Marra (appointed 14 November 1989 – resigned 31 January 1996) * Giuseppe Mani (appointed 31 January 1996 – translated to the

Archdiocese of Cagliari The Archdiocese of Cagliari (; ) is a Latin Church, Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church centred on the city of Cagliari. It holds the Primate (bishop), Primacy of Sardinia.Angelo Bagnasco Angelo Bagnasco (; born 14 January 1943) is an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Genoa, Archbishop of Genoa from 2006 to 2020. He was President of the Conferenza Episcopale It ...

(appointed 20 June 2003 – translated to the Archdiocese of Genoa 29 August 2006) * Vincenzo Pelvi (appointed 14 October 2006 – resigned 11 August 2013) * Santo Marcianò (appointed 10 October 2013 - 10 April 2025)

References

Ordinariato Militare in Italia
(Italian)

(Catholic-Hierarchy)

(GCatholic.org) {{authority control Roman Catholic dioceses in Italy