# Angelo Comastri

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Angelo_Comastri
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Angelo_Comastri.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Comastri
> Source revision: 1357307795
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Italian prelate (born 1943)

His Eminence Angelo Comastri Archpriest Emeritus of Saint Peter's Basilica Church Catholic Church Appointed 31 October 2006 Term ended 20 February 2021 Predecessor Francesco Marchisano Successor Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv. Other post Cardinal-Priest of San Salvatore in Lauro (2007–) Previous posts Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino (1990–1994) Archbishop-Prelate of Loreto (1996–2005) Coadjutor Archpriest of Saint Peter's Basilica (2005–2006) Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica (2005–2021) Vicar General for the Vatican City State (2005–21) President of the Fabric of Saint Peter (2005–21) Orders Ordination 11 March 1967 by Luigi Boccadoro Consecration 12 September 1990 by Bernardin Gantin Created cardinal 24 November 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI Rank Cardinal-Deacon (2007–18) Cardinal-Priest (from 2018) Personal details Born (1943-09-17) 17 September 1943 (age 82) Sorano, Tuscany, Italy Denomination Catholic Motto Deus Charitas Est Coat of arms

**Angelo Comastri** (born 17 September 1943) is an Italian prelate of the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church). He was [Archpriest](/source/Archpriest) of [St. Peter's Basilica](/source/St._Peter's_Basilica) from 2006 to 2021, and [Vicar General for the Vatican City State](/source/Vicar_General_for_the_Vatican_City_State) and President of the [Fabric of Saint Peter](/source/Fabric_of_Saint_Peter) from 2005 to 2021. He previously served as Bishop of [Massa Marittima-Piombino](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Massa_Marittima-Piombino) (1990–1994) and [Territorial Prelate of Loreto](/source/Roman_Catholic_Territorial_Prelature_of_Loreto) (1996–2005). He was named a [cardinal](/source/Cardinal_(Catholic_Church)) in 2007.

## Biography

Comastri was born in [Sorano](/source/Sorano), in the province of [Grosseto](/source/Province_of_Grosseto)[1] to Fernando and Beneria (née Scossa) Comastri. He received his early education at schools in his native town and attended the seminary of [Pitigliano](/source/Pitigliano) and the Regional Seminary S. Maria della Quercia in [Viterbo](/source/Viterbo). He continued his studies at the [Pontifical Lateran University](/source/Pontifical_Lateran_University) where he earned a [Licentiate of Sacred Theology](/source/Licentiate_of_Sacred_Theology) and at the [Pontifical Roman Seminary](/source/Pontifical_Roman_Seminary). On 11 March 1967, he was [ordained](/source/Holy_Orders) to the priesthood by Bishop Luigi Boccadoro.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Comastri served as vice-rector of the [minor seminary](/source/Minor_seminary) of Pitigliano and, at the same time, did pastoral work in the parish of San Quirico'. He was later assigned to the [Roman Curia](/source/Roman_Curia) as an official of the [Congregation for Bishops](/source/Congregation_for_Bishops). He served as [spiritual director](/source/Spiritual_direction) of the Pontifical Minor Roman Seminary and a chaplain at Roman jails before returning to Pitigliano, where he became rector of the seminary in 1971. In 1979, he was named pastor of the parish of San Stefano Protomartire in [Porto Santo Stefano](/source/Porto_Santo_Stefano). He was also a member of the diocesan college of consultors, and served as episcopal delegate for the seminarians residing outside of the diocese and professor of religion at the Professional Institute for Maritime Activities in Porto Santo Stefano.

On 25 July 1990, Comastri was appointed Bishop of [Massa Marittima-Piombino](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Massa_Marittima-Piombino) by [Pope John Paul II](/source/Pope_John_Paul_II).[2] He received his [episcopal](/source/Bishop_(Catholicism)) [consecration](/source/Consecration) on 12 September from Cardinal [Bernardin Gantin](/source/Bernardin_Gantin), with Archbishop [Gaetano Bonicelli](/source/Gaetano_Bonicelli) and Bishop [Eugenio Binini](/source/Eugenio_Binini) serving as [co-consecrators](/source/Consecrator), in the parish church San Stefano Protomartire. He resigned as bishop for health reasons on 3 March 1994.[3] Following his recovery, he was named president of the National Italian Committee for the [Jubilee of the Year 2000](/source/Great_Jubilee) and placed in charge of the National Center for Vocations of the [Italian Episcopal Conference](/source/Conferenza_Episcopale_Italiana).

Comastri was named [Territorial Prelate](/source/Territorial_Prelate) of the [Territorial Prelature of Loreto](/source/Roman_Catholic_Territorial_Prelature_of_Loreto), with the personal title of [archbishop](/source/Archbishop), on 9 November 1996.[4] On 5 February 2005, he was appointed President of the [Fabric of Saint Peter](/source/Fabric_of_Saint_Peter), [Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City](/source/Vicar_General_for_Vatican_City), and Coadjutor Archpriest of [St. Peter's Basilica](/source/St._Peter's_Basilica).[5] He preached the [Lenten](/source/Lent) spiritual exercises for Pope John Paul II and the Roman Curia in 2003 and the meditations for the [Stations of the Cross](/source/Stations_of_the_Cross) in the [Colosseum](/source/Colosseum) on Good Friday 2006.[6] Upon the retirement of Cardinal [Francesco Marchisano](/source/Francesco_Marchisano) on 31 October 2006, Comastri succeeded him as Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.[7]

Pope Benedict XVI created him a [cardinal](/source/Cardinal_(Catholic_Church)) in the [consistory](/source/Papal_consistory) of 24 November 2007,[8] assigning him the titular church of [San Salvatore in Lauro](/source/San_Salvatore_in_Lauro) with the rank of cardinal-deacon.[9] In addition to his main duties, he also serves as vice-president of the [Pontifical Academy of the Immacolata](/source/Pontifical_Academy_of_the_Immaculate_Conception) and he has been a member of the [Congregation for the Causes of Saints](/source/Congregation_for_the_Causes_of_Saints) since 2005.[10]

Comastri participated in the [papal conclave](/source/Papal_conclave%2C_2013) that elected [Pope Francis](/source/Pope_Francis).[11] After ten years as a cardinal-deacon, he was raised to the rank of cardinal-priest on 19 May 2018.[12]

In a 2020 television interview, Comastri objected to Turkey's decision to turn [Hagia Sophia](/source/Hagia_Sophia), once a church and long a museum, into a mosque. He said:[13]

No mosque was ever turned into a Catholic Church, and no Catholic has ever shot at an imam. They’ve even shot the pope himself, on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square: If they want dialogue, it must be done with fair and honest weapons, with the honesty of looking into each other’s eyes and answering with facts.

Comastri said [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19) "does not come from God" and that powerful states are "organizing world wars, including bacteriological wars"; he said it was possible that Chinese government research was the source of COVID-19, a charge China has denied.[13]

Pope Francis accepted Comastri's resignation as vicar general, archpriest, and president of the Fabric on 20 February 2021.[14]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-notes_1-0)** ["Comastri Card. Angelo"](https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_comastri_a_en.html). *College of Cardinals Biographical Notes, 13 June 2008*. Press Office of the Holy See. Retrieved 27 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [*Acta Apostolicae Sedis*](http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-82-1990-ocr.pdf) (PDF). Vol. LXXXII. 1990. p. 926. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-vatbio_3-0)** ["Comastri Card. Angelo"](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_comastri_a.html). [Holy See Press Office](/source/Holy_See_Press_Office). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170904070729/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_comastri_a.html) from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [*Acta Apostolicae Sedis*](http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-88-1996-ocr.pdf) (PDF). Vol. LXXXVIII. 1996. p. 972. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Rinunce e Nomine, 05.02.2005"](http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/02/05/0072/00181.html) (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 5 February 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Way of the Cross to Focus on Loss of Sense of Sin"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180514141840/https://zenit.org/articles/way-of-the-cross-to-focus-on-loss-of-sense-of-sin/). *Zenit*. 6 April 2006. Archived from [the original](https://zenit.org/articles/way-of-the-cross-to-focus-on-loss-of-sense-of-sin/) on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Rinunce e Nomine, 31 October 2006"](http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2006/10/31/0542/01545.html) (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Concistoro, ecco i nuovi cardinali 'Rappresentano universalità della Chiesa'"](http://www.repubblica.it/2007/10/sezioni/esteri/benedettoxvi-17/concistoro2/concistoro2.html). *La Repubblica* (in Italian). 24 November 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Titular Churches of the new Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church"](https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2007/documents/ns_lit_doc_20071124_titoli_en.html). *[The Holy See](/source/Holy_See)*. [Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations](/source/Office_for_the_Liturgical_Celebrations_of_the_Supreme_Pontiff). 24 November 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160728233733/https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2007/documents/ns_lit_doc_20071124_titoli_en.html) from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Rinunce e Nomine, 24.10.2005"](http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/10/24/0540/01326.html) (Press release) (in Italian). Press Office of the Holy See. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["List of Cardinal Electors"](https://zenit.org/articles/list-of-cardinal-electors/). *Zenit*. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Concistoro per il voto su alcune Cause di Canonizzazione"](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2018/05/19/0369/00800.html) [Consistory for the vote on several Causes for Canonization]. *[Sala Stampa della Santa Sede](/source/Holy_See_Press_Office)* (in Italian). 19 May 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180519205052/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2018/05/19/0369/00800.html) from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-covid_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-covid_13-1) San Martín, Inés (21 July 2020). ["Vatican cardinal suggest COVID-19 made in laboratory, condemns 'bacteriological wars'"](https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/07/vatican-cardinal-suggest-covid-19-made-in-laboratory-condemns-bacteriological-wars/). *Crux*. Retrieved 18 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Resignations and Appointments, 20.02.2021"](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/02/20/210220c.html) (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***[Angelo Comastri](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Angelo_Comastri)***.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Angelo Comastri](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Angelo_Comastri).

- ["Comastri Card. Angelo"](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_comastri_a.html). [Holy See Press Office](/source/Holy_See_Press_Office). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170904070729/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_comastri_a.html) from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

- [Catholic Hierarchy profile](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcomastri.html)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Francesco Marchisano President of the Fabric of Saint Peter 5 February 2005 – 20 February 2021 Succeeded by Mauro Gambetti Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City 5 February 2005 – 20 February 2021 Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica 31 October 2006 – 20 February 2021

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF 2 GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Italy Czech Republic Spain Portugal Greece Poland Vatican Catalonia Artists MusicBrainz People DDB Other IdRef Yale LUX

v t e Cardinals created by Benedict XVI 2006 Levada Rode Vallini Urosa Savino Rosales Ricard Cañizares Llovera Cheong O'Malley Dziwisz Caffarra Zen Montezemolo Porekuu Vanhoye 2007 Sandri Foley Lajolo Cordes Comastri Ryłko Farina García-Gasco Vicente Brady Martínez i Sistach Vingt-Trois Bagnasco Sarr Gracias Robles Ortega DiNardo Scherer Njue Delly Coppa Karlic Navarrete Cortés Betti 2010 Amato Naguib Sarah Monterisi Baldelli Burke Koch Sardi Piacenza de Paolis Ravasi Mazombwe Vela Chiriboga Monsengwo Pasinya Romeo Wuerl Damasceno Assis Nycz Ranjith Marx Estepa Llaurens Sgreccia Brandmüller Bartolucci 2012 II Filoni Monteiro de Castro Abril y Castelló Vegliò Bertello Coccopalmerio Braz de Aviz O'Brien Calcagno Versaldi Alencherry Collins Duka Eijk Betori Dolan Woelki Tong Hon Mureșan Ries Grech Becker XI Harvey al-Rahi Cleemis Onaiyekan Salazar Gómez Tagle Catholic Church portal

v t e College of Cardinals List of current cardinals Cardinals of the Catholic Church under Pope Leo XIV in order of precedence Cardinal bishops Re Sandri Arinze Bertone Martins Parolin Ouellet Filoni Stella Tagle Raï Sako Cardinal priests Kitbunchu Poupard Wetter López Rodríguez Mahony Darmaatmadja Wamala Maida Puljić Sandoval Stafford De Giorgi Rouco Schönborn Rivera Pujats Sepe Kasper Bačkis Errázuriz Napier Rodríguez Cipriani Herranz Scola Okogie Zubeir Wako Rigali Antonelli Turkson Bozanić Barbarin Erdő Rodé Vallini Rosales Ricard Cañizares O'Malley Dziwisz Zen Lajolo Comastri Ryłko Farina Brady Martínez Sistach Bagnasco Sarr Gracias Robles DiNardo Scherer Njue Sarah Monterisi Burke Koch Piacenza Ravasi Romeo Wuerl Assis Nycz Ranjith Marx Brandmüller de Castro Abril Vegliò Bertello Coccopalmerio Aviz O'Brien Calcagno Versaldi Alencherry Collins Eijk Betori Dolan Woelki Tong Harvey Thottunkal Onaiyekan Salazar Baldisseri Müller Nichols Brenes Lacroix Kutwa Tempesta Bassetti Poli Yeom Ezzati Ouédraogo Quevedo Langlois Clemente Souraphiel Dew Nguyễn Suárez Bo Kovithavanij Montenegro Sturla Blázquez Lacunza Gomes Furtado Mafi Villalba Langa Nzapalainga Osoro Rocha Cupich D'Rozario Porras De Kesel Piat Aguiar Retes Ribat Tobin Zerbo Omella Arborelius Mangkhanekhoun Rosa De Donatis Coutts Marto Barreto Tsarahazana Petrocchi Maeda Ticona Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo García Ambongo Besungu Hollerich Ramazzini Zuppi López Romero Tamkevičius Kambanda Gregory Advincula Aós Lojudice Arizmendi Aveline Okpaleke Steiner Ferrão McElroy do Carmo da Silva Cantoni Poola Costa Goh Martínez Flores Marengo Jiménez Miglio Pizzaballa Brislin Rossi Rueda Ryś Mulla Cobo Rugambwa Francis Chow Bustillo Alves Aguiar Padrón Castillo Bokalic Cabrera Chomalí Kikuchi David Nemet Spengler Bessi Dogbo Vesco Mathieu Repole Reina Leo Bychok Battaglia Cardinal deacons Mamberti Zenari Farrell Simoni Ladaria Becciu Krajewski Bocos Mendonça Czerny Fitzgerald Grech Semeraro Gambetti Tomasi Cantalamessa Feroci Roche You Vérgez Ghirlanda Frezza Gugerotti Fernández Pierre Fernández Artime Marchetto Acerbi Makrickas Radcliffe Baggio Koovakad Cardinals ineligible to participate in a papal conclave in italics See also: Titular Titular church List of titular churches List of creations of cardinals Category Media Catholic Church portal

v t e Pope Francis Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025 Archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998–2013) Cardinal Priest of San Roberto Bellarmino (2001–2013) Pope (2013–2025) Papacy Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI 2013 papal conclave Inauguration Cardinals created People declared Servants of God People declared venerable Beatifications Canonizations Visitors received Synods 2014 2015 2018 2019 U.S.–Cuban thaw Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy Meeting with Patriarch Kirill Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate Order of Malta leadership Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Fiducia supplicans 2025 Jubilee Death and funeral dignitaries reactions Visits (selected) Philippines North America Kenya Ireland Baltic states Iraq Canada Mongolia Indonesia Belgium [nl] Bibliography (selected) Constitutions (selected) Vultum Dei quaerere Veritatis gaudium Episcopalis communio Pascite gregem Dei Praedicate evangelium Exhortations Evangelii gaudium Amoris laetitia Gaudete et exsultate Christus vivit Querida Amazonia Laudate Deum Encyclicals Lumen fidei Laudato si' Fratelli tutti Dilexit nos Letters (selected) Misericordiae vultus Misericordia et misera Maiorem hac dilectionem Magnum principium Vos estis lux mundi Spiritus Domini Traditionis custodes Autobiographies Life Hope Related people Papal household Alfred Xuereb, Fabián Pedacchio, Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, and Gonzalo Aemilius (former personal secretaries) Fabio Salerno and Daniel Pellizzon (last personal secretaries) Guido Marini (former Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations) Diego Ravelli (current Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations) Georg Gänswein (former Prefect of the Papal Household) Cardinal Advisers Last Advisers: Fridolin Ambongo Besungu Sérgio da Rocha Oswald Gracias Jean-Claude Hollerich Gérald Lacroix Seán Patrick O'Malley Juan José Omella Pietro Parolin Fernando Vérgez Alzaga Former: Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, George Pell, Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga (coordinator), Giuseppe Bertello, and Reinhard Marx Episcopate Benedict XVI (preceding pope) Leo XIV (succeeding pope) Mauro Gambetti (Vicar General for Vatican City) Baldassare Reina (Vicar General for Rome) Antonio Quarracino (preceding Archbishop of Buenos Aires) Mario Aurelio Poli (succeeding Archbishop of Buenos Aires) Sergio Rubin (biographer) Related books Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio On Heaven and Earth Pope Francis: Life and Revolution The Dictator Pope Related Coat of arms Eponyms Theology LGBTQ topics Society of Jesus (religious order) Domus Sanctae Marthae (residence) Wake Up! (2015 album) Francis: Pray for Me (2015 film) Chiamatemi Francesco (2015 film) Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018 documentary) The Two Popes (2019 film) Francesco (2020 documentary) The Letter: A Message for Our Earth (2022 documentary) In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis (2022 documentary) Category

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Angelo Comastri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Comastri) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Comastri?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.