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Featured AuthorCardinal Carlo Maria Martini
The Lord who calls us to ministry does not call us simply to say or to do something
but above all to be something -- Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini BiographyCardinal Carlo Maria Martini, S.J., was born in Turin on February 15, 1927. When he was seventeen, Cardinal Martini enrolled in the Jesuit seminary and was ordained eight years later on July 13, 1952, considered an exceptionally young age for a Jesuit priest. Two years later he graduated summa cum laude from the Gregorian University with a degree in Theology, writing an excellent thesis that was soon published. He was assigned to teach in Chieri, but the academic life called him back to Rome where he again excelled, achieving his doctorate in Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. His scholastic excellence opened the door for him to be named head of the Scripture Department at the Biblicum where he also was appointed Rector of the Institute in 1969, an office he held until 1978. During this time he gained a reputation for being accessible and being a people person to the students and faculty. In 1978 he was tabbed Rector of the more prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University. That was also the year the Pope Paul VI invited him to preach the Vatican's annual retreat during Lent. It would be the Pope's last Lent. After a year as head of the Gregorian, Martini took a sabbatical to write more, authoring numerous biblical, theological and spiritual thesis and documents. On December 29, 1979 Pope John Paul II named him the new Archbishop of Milan a quarter of a century after Pope Paul VI had been appointed Archbishop of Milan. On March 6, 1980 he was ordained by the Holy Father and installed as the head of the important See of Milan in northern Italy. Three years later he received his red-hat and the titular church of St. Cecilia. He serves membership in the Curial Offices of the Second Section of the Secretary of State, the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies for Apostolic Life and the Congregation for Catholic Education as well as the Pontifical Council for Culture. He retired in the summer of 2002 after more than twenty years as Archbishop of Milan where he resides at Palazzo Arcivescovile, Piazza Fontana 2, 20122 Milan. Featured WorksMartini, Cardinal Carlo Maria, The Joy of the Gospel: Meditations for Young People, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, pp. 107 How to deal prudently with grave difficulties according to St. Paul, Taken from the book: In the Thick of His Ministry by Carlo Maria Martini, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (Book) Martini, Carlo, The Testimony of St. Paul, Crossroad, NY, pp. 102 (Book) Martini, Carlo Maria In the Thick of his Ministry, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, pp. 91 (Book) Martini, Carlo Maria Communicating Christ to the World, Sheed and Ward, Kansas City, MO, pp. 192 (Speech) Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini's address to the 43rd Plenary Assembly of the Italian Bishops' Conference in May 1997 |
