Angelo Comastri

Angelo Comastri (born September 17, 1943) is an Italian clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current President of the Fabric of Saint Peter and Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, having previously served as Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino (1990-1994) and Archbishop of Loreto (1996-2005). He was created a cardinal in 2007.
==Biography==
Angelo Comastri was born in Sorano to Fernando and Beneria (née Scossa) Comastri. He received his early education at schools in his native town, and attended the seminary of Pitigliano and the Regional Seminary "S. Maria della Quercia" in Viterbo. He continued his studies in Rome, at the Pontifical Lateran University (where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology) and at the Pontifical Roman Seminary. On March 11, 1967, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Luigi Boccadoro.
Comastri served as vice-rector of the minor seminary of Pitigliano and, at the same time, did pastoral work in the parish of S. Quirico. He was later assigned to the Roman Curia, becoming an official of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. He served as spiritual director of the Pontifical Minor Roman Seminary and a chaplain at Roman jails before returning to the Diocese of Pitigliano, where he became rector of the seminary in 1971. In 1979, he was named pastor of the parish of S. Stefano Protomartire in 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 July 25, 1990, Comastri was appointed Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 12 from Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, with Archbishop Gaetano Bonicelli and Bishop Eugenio Binini serving as co-consecrators, in the parish church S. Stefano Protomartire. He resigned as bishop for health reasons on March 3, 1994. Following his recovery, he was named president of the National Italian Committee for the Jubilee of the Year 2000 and placed in charge of the National Center for Vocations of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
Comastri was named Territorial Prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Loreto, with the personal title of Archbishop, on November 9, 1996. On February 5, 2005, he was appointed President of the Fabric of Saint Peter and Coadjutor Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica. He preached the Lenten spiritual exercises for Pope John Paul II and the Roman Curia, and redacted the meditations for the Stations of the Cross presided by Pope Benedict XVI in the Colosseum on Good Friday 2005. Upon the retirement of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, Comastri succeeded him as Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica on October 31, 2006.
Pope Benedict XVI created him Cardinal Deacon of S. Salvatore in Lauro in the consistory of November 24, 2007. In addition to his main duties, he also serves as vice-president of the Pontifical Academy of the Immacolata and a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. 
==References==
Category:1943 births
Category:Italian cardinals
Category:Bishops of Massa
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Italian archbishops
Category:Living people
Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI
Category:Members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
de:Angelo Comastri
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la:Angelus Comastri
nl:Angelo Comastri
no:Angelo Comastri
pl:Angelo Comastri
pt:Angelo Comastri
ru:Комастри, Анджело