Roman Catholic Diocese of Pescia

Current Bishop

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Pope Francis appointed as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pescia, in Pescia, Italy, the Very Reverend Father Roberto Filippini, S.T.L., who until then had been incardinated as a member of the clergy of the Diocese of Pescia's metropolitan see, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pisa. In his most recent assignment in the Archdiocese of Pisa, Bishop-elect Filippini had been both a docent (lecturer) and a spiritual director of the Seminary of the Pisa Archdiocese, and concurrently also a Chaplain of a Prison in Pisa. Bishop-elect Filippini, age 67, was born in Vinci, Florence, Italy, on June 6, 1948. He studied for his undergraduate philosophy degree studies in the Archdiocesan Seminary of Pisa. Then, he was sent to complete his graduate theological studies at the Almo Collegio Capranica, and attended the Pontifical Gregorian University (the Gregoriana, or "the Greg") as well as the Pontifical Biblical Institute, obtaining the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (the S.T.L., a License, or post-Master's degree certification) in theology and in Sacred Scripture. He was ordained a priest on April 14, 1973, age 24, and was then incardinated in the presbyterate of the Archdiocese of Pisa. In his priestly ministry, he held the following positions: Parochial Vicar (Associate Pastor) in the Parish of St. Hermes in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, from 1975 to 1978, and at the same time he started teaching at the Seminary of Pisa. He was a Parish Priest in Calignola, Italy, from 1978 to 1984. In 1984, he was appointed Pastor of the Parish of St. Sepulchre in Pisa, and in 1997, Parish Priest of San Martino, Italy. In 1996, he was appointed Vicar Forane of the Vicariate of San Martino and President of the Studio Teologico Interdiocesano di Camaiore (Interdiocesan Studio- School or Seminary- of Camaiore), in Lucca, Italy. From 1999 to September 2015, Bishop-elect Filippini was Rector of the Seminary "Santa Caterina" (St. Catherine's Seminary), in Pisa. From September 2015 until his episcopal appointment, he has served, as mentioned above, as a spiritual director at the same Seminary. Also, from 1999 to now, as mentioned, he has served as a Prison Chaplain at a prison in Pisa. Other recent duties have included serving as a Professor of Fundamental Theology and Sacred Scripture at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Blessed Nicholas Steno, in Pisa, and at the School of Theological Education; as the Archbishop of Pisa's Ecclesiastical Delegate for Ecumenism, Director of the Library Cateriniana of the Seminary, and as Director of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Blessed Nicholas Steno. Very Reverend Father Filippini's Episcopal Ordination and Installation as Pescia's Diocesan Bishop (Ordinary) will take place at a date or dates in the near future to be determined soon; until then, he winds down his other assignments and remains a priest, while preparing and serving as Bishop-elect.^[4][5]