Francesco Moraglia

Moraglia was born in Genoa. He attended the seminary of Genoa and on 29 June 1977 was ordained a priest by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri. He then continued his studies at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, earning a doctorate in dogmatic theology in 1981. From 1977 to 1978, he taught in the archdiocesan major seminary.

From 1979 to 1988 he was assistant priest in the parish of Our Lady of Grace and Saint Gerome in the residential quarter of Castelletto.[2] Until 1986, he was Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy, and after he was nominated dean at the Ligurian Institute of Religious Studies. In 1996 he was appointed Director of the Diocesan Office for Culture. He became a member of the Genoa Diocesan Priests' Council in 2001. Since 1990, he became priest in the clinic named Villa Serena.

He served as a consultor to the Congregation for the Clergy from 2003. Alumnus of the cardinal Bagnasco[2] and disciple of cardinal Siri, in 2004 he was appointed a canon of the cathedral chapter. In addition to teaching Christology, Anthropology and Sacramental Theology and History of the Church, at the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy and at the Ligurian Institute of Religious Studies,[3] he also directed the "Didascaleion" Centre of Studies and did pastoral work in a large parish in the centre of Genoa.

Coat of arms of Patriarch Moraglia

He was appointed Bishop of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato on 6 December 2007.[4] and was consecrated on 3 February 2008 by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco,[3] with Cardinal Mauro Piacenza and Bishop Bassano Staffieri as co-consecrators. In 2008 he inaugurated the practice of diocesan Marian pilgrimage on the first Saturday of the month, and in 2012 he established perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel of the Crucifix of local benedictine abbatial Church.

In late 2010 and early 2011 he opposed La Spezia's plan to recognize unmarried couples in its municipal statutes. The statute that was enacted recognized "the existence of other forms of cohabitation" and protected them "within the limits set by the legal system".

On 31 January 2012, he was named Patriarch of Venice.[5] His installation was on 25 March 2012.

On 18 September 2012, Moraglia was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as one of the Synod Fathers for the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.[6]

Since 2010 Moraglia has held positions in the management of the “Communication and Culture” Foundation in charge of the Italian Episcopal Conference’s (CEI) media,[3] which is the proprietary of the Italian TV2000 broadcasting network.

On 15 June 2018, he was made an Ecclesiastic Knight Grand Cross of the Costantinian Order of Saint George and Prior of Triveneto.[7][8]