Bishop of the Latin Catholic Church in Istanbul
Monsignor Massimiliano Palinuro
"Massimiliano Palinuro was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Constantinople and administrator of the Byzantine Exarchate in Turkey by Pope Francis on September 14, 2021. His episcopal consecration took place on December 7, 2021, at the first vespers of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, at the Cathedral of Ariano Irpino in Italy, and the Episcopal motto was "Deus Caritas est - God is love"."
Monsignor Massimiliano Palinuro was born on June 10, 1974 in the town of Ariano Irpino in the province of Avellino, Italy. At the age of sixteen, he began his religious education in the youth seminary of the Archdiocese of Benevento. After graduating from the classical languages department of the high school where he studied, he entered the Archdiocesan Seminary of Cardinal Alessio Ascalesi in Naples, and in 1998 he received a bachelor's degree in theology from the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Southern ˙Italy. In the same year he was ordained a deacon by Monsignor Eduardo D'Avino and in 2001 he was sent to Rome to study at the Pontifical Institute of the Bible, where he obtained a Master's degree in Sacred Scripture. He completed his studies in 2009 with a doctorate in Dogmatic ˙Theology at the Pontifical ˙Southern ˙Italian Pontifical ˙School of Theology in Naples.
He was ordained a priest by His Excellency Monsignor Gennaro Pascarella and was ordained on April 24, 1999 in the Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia. From 2001 to 2011 he taught Scripture at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Southern ˙Italy. He has published essays and articles on hermeneutics and history.
He held various pastoral positions in the Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia: In 1999, he became the acting abbot of the Parish Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Ariano Irpino and then, from 2000 to 2011, the abbot of the Parish Church of SS. Annunziata in San Nicola Baronia. At the same time, from 2000 to 2006, he volunteered as a chaplain in hospitals.
From 2001 to 2011 he was professor of Scripture at the Pontifical Theological Seminary of Southern Italy. He has published essays and articles on exegesis and history. During this period, he directed the course of theological formation for candidates for the permanent diaconate (2002-2005) and was professor of Scripture at the school of theological formation for laity (2006-2011).
From 2007 to 2011, he served as head of the Department of Religious Cultural Heritage, director of the Episcopal Museums, head of the Episcopal Library and head of the Episcopal Archives.
From 2002 to 2005 he was director of the theological formation course for candidates for the Permanent Diaconate and
From 2006 to 2011 he taught Bible classes at the theological formation school for congregation members.
In 2011, he requested and received permission from His Eminence Monsignor Giovanni D'Alise to go to Turkey as a fidei donum priest. In Turkey, until September 2018, he served as rector of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John of the Cross in the Archdiocese of Izmir, working hard to make this place of worship open to the public, which he achieved. From 2015 to 2018 he was in charge of religious education and catechumens' education in the same archdiocese.
From September 2018 until his appointment as Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul, he served in the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia as Deputy Vicar General, Interim Chancellor (2019) and Parish Priest of the Catholic Community of Santa Maria in Trabzon, as a Fidei Donum priest.
He gave lectures and courses for priests and clergy in various Italian dioceses and in the Middle East; he led spiritual exercises. He organized Bible and theology courses for Catholic catechists.
In 2019, he collaborated on the Turkish revision of ˙The Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, a task given by the late Bishop Ruben Tierrablanca, President of the Turkish Council of Bishops.
On September 14, 2021, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Vicar of Constantinople and Administrator of the Byzantine Exarchate in Turkey. His episcopal ordination took place on December 7, 2021.