Pope Francis Appoints Papal Pastor Inspired by the Gospel, St. Francis and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has named a new pastor of the papal household: a 53-year-old Italian Capuchin priest who studied computer science and mathematics and discovered his vocation while reading a free copy of the Gospel of Matthew on the subway.

Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini succeeds Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, also an Italian Capuchin priest, who turned 90 in July and has been papal pastor since 1980 when John Paul II appointed him. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis respectively affirmed his position, and Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2020.

The Vatican made the announcement on November 9.

The papal minister is tasked with preparing the traditional series of Lenten and Advent reflections each year for the pope and top Vatican officials, and is charged with preaching at the public celebration of the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday.

Born on November 5, 1971, Father Pasolini received his degree in computer science with a transdisciplinary exploration of artificial intelligence, mathematics, philosophy and psychology, he said in a 2020 interview with TV2000, the television network owned by the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

He became active in parish life, especially in helping the poor. After using his travel time to read a copy of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, he was given a free copy of L’Unità, an Italian newspaper founded by the Italian Communist Party and later supported by the Democratic Party of the Left.

He said in the TV interview that he had been politically active and wanted to change the world, but then changed his approach when he was struck by a line in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”: “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for one cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one cause.”

He said he also admired Saint Francis of Assisi, who believed: “You change the world by repairing it, not by overthrowing it.”

Father Pasolini took his perpetual vows in the Orders of Friars Minor Capuchin in 2002 and was ordained a priest in 2006.

He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a doctorate in biblical theology, and was professor of Biblical Languages ​​and Sacred Scripture at the Laurentianum Interprovincial Theological Institute of the Capuchins in Milan and Venice.

He is professor of biblical exegesis at the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy in Milan, preaches at spiritual retreats and is the author of several books on biblical spirituality.

He “embraces new technology to spread the Gospel, including podcasts and artificial intelligence,” Vatican News reported on November 9.

The Capuchin priest is also “deeply involved in working with the poor, people living on the streets, people with disabilities and his ministry in prisons,” according to Vatican News.

Cardinal Cantalamessa will continue his life of “study, reading and prayer” at the Hermitage of Merciful Love in Cittaducale, Italy, alongside a community of Poor Clare nuns while occasionally serving as their chaplain, Vatican News reported.