Ruggero Franceschini
{{Short description|Italian Catholic archbishop (1939–2024)|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Archbishop
| honorific-prefix = His Excellency
| name = Ruggero Franceschini
| honorific-suffix =
| native_name =
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| title = Archbishop Emeritus of Izmir
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| archdiocese = Izmir
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| elected =
| appointed = 11 October 2004
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| quashed =
| term_end = 7 November 2015
| predecessor = Giuseppe Germano Bernardini
| opposed =
| successor = Lorenzo Piretto
| other_post =
| previous_post = Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia and Titular Bishop of Sicilibba (1993–2004)
| ordination = 11 August 1963
| ordained_by = Beniamino Socche
| consecration = 3 October 1993
| consecrated_by = Achille Silvestrini
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1939|09|01}}
| birth_place = Prignano sulla Secchia, Italy
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2024|12|30|1939|09|01}}
| death_place = Reggio Emilia, Italy
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Ruggero Franceschini, OFMCap (1 September 1939 – 30 December 2024) was an Italian archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
Biography
Ruggero Franceshini was born in Prignano sulla Secchia, Italy, on 1 September 1939. He entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and made his vows in 1960. He was ordained a priest of that order on 11 August 1963.
On 2 July 1993, he was appointed apostolic vicar of Anatolia and titular bishop of Sicilibba, North Africa. He received his episcopal consecration on 3 October 1993 from Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
On 11 October 2004, he was named Archbishop of İzmir.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = 26 May 2020 | date = 11 October 2004 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 11.10.2004 | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2004/10/11/0496/01277.html}} Shortly after arriving in İzmir, a police car that a deranged man had stolen struck him crossing the road. He spent months in the hospital and was left with a limp. He hired a Turkish lawyer and waited years for a resolution. He later connected it to other attacks he viewed as part of an anti-Christian campaign.{{cite book | first =Francesca |last=Paci | title =Dove muoiono i cristiani | publisher =Mondadori | language = it | date=2011 |page= 73 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qG9AWb6wxV8C&pg=PT23&}}
On 12 June 2010, he was given the additional responsibility of apostolic administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = 26 May 2020 | date = 12 June 2010| language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 12.05.2010 |url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2010/06/12/0389/00879.html}} following the murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese. He did not accept the official explanation that Padovese had been the victim of a single mentally disturbed man. He connected it to other attacks and called it the work of "ultranationalists and religious fanatics".
During his tenure, he worked to make St. John's Cathedral accessible to all. On 29 September 2013, it was reopened after major restoration work.
On 7 November 2015, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop and named Lorenzo Piretto to succeed him.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = 26 May 2020 | date = 7 November 2015| language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 07.11.2015 |url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2015/11/07/0862/01914.html}}
Franceschini died on 30 December 2024, at the age of 85.{{Cite web |date=30 December 2024 |title=Il lutto. Morto l'arcivescovo emerito di Smirne Ruggero Franceschini |url=https://www.avvenire.it/chiesa/pagine/morto-arcivescovo-emerito-smirne-ruggero-franceschini |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=www.avvenire.it |language=it}}
After the funeral, celebrated on 2 January 2025 in the parish church of Sant'Antonino in Casalgrande, he was buried in the local cemetery.
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef | before=Giuseppe Germano Bernardini}}
{{s-ttl | title=Archbishop of Izmir|years=2004–2015}}
{{s-aft | after=Lorenzo Piretto}}
{{s-bef | before=Juozas Matulaitis}}
{{s-ttl | title=Titular Bishop of Sicilibba|years=1993–2004}}
{{s-aft | after=Joseph Thomas Konnath}}
{{s-bef | before=Giuseppe Germano Bernardini}}
{{s-ttl | title=Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia|years=1993–2004}}
{{s-aft | after=Luigi Padovese}}
{{end}}
{{authority control}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franceschini, Ruggero}}
Category:Italian Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic titular bishops
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic titular bishops
Category:Religious leaders from the Province of Modena
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Turkey