Cologno al Serio is a city located by the River Serio
One can find there some of the oldest archaeological sites in the entire province of Bergamo: the first human settlements located there come from the Bronze Age (from four thousand years ago)
Cologno al Serio has preserved its medieval urban layout intact
The old town is surrounded by defending walls and a moat which were used for the protection of the city
The only way to get to the city was through four well preserved gates
While visiting Cologno one should not miss the Littegio Castle from the 15th century
The walls and architectural details visible today show that the building had been heavily fortified in the past
In the center of the old town there is a parish church dedicated to Our Lady
It was built in 1745 according to the design of the architect Gian Battista Canian and it fully replaced the old church
which differs greatly from the existing church in its architectural form
We met the representatives of the local government of Cologno al Serio in Lithuania
They were the members of the Cooperation Committee
The formal beginning of our cooperation was signing a letter of intent in 2009 and executing a partnership agreement in 2010
Delegations from Cologno participate in international conferences organized as part of the Days of Tarnowo Podgórne Commune
the Italian delegation presented to us how their self-government benefits from being a member of the European Union
we listened with an interest to a conference in which Agnieszka Kozłowska- Rajewicz
talked about the local profamily policy (as a large group of immigrants and refugees live and work in Cologno)
on our way to the European Orchestra Festival in Rosate
our delegates met with the mayor of Cologno – Chiara Drago
The main topic was our cooperation with foreign investors
differences in systems and the scope of self-government competences and initiatives for the activation and integration of citizens
Cologno’s unique medieval character is not the only reason to visit it
It is also a great place to visit for those travellers who are on their way to the nearby Bergamo and Milan
But he has already become arguably one of the world’s most prominent cardinals
the day of the consistory for the creation of 21 new cardinals
© Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.His global visibility increased significantly Monday when he made one of the more striking proposals by a member of the College of Cardinals in recent memory
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who serves Latin Rite Catholics in Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine
16 that he was willing to be exchanged for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza by the Islamist group Hamas
During an online briefing with journalists, he said: “If I am ready for an exchange
if this can lead to freedom and bring those children back home
raising his profile instantly both in the Catholic world and beyond
Will his hostage exchange offer be accepted
what difference — if any — will his proposal make
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Pierbattista Pizzaballa was born in 1965 in Cologno al Serio, one of Italy’s oldest towns
located in the northern province of Bergamo
His Christian name is a combination of Piero (Peter) and Battista (Baptist). His surname is said to be specific to the Bergamo region. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be pizza-related. One source suggests it’s derived from an archaic term in the Lombard dialect
meaning “someone who is talkative” or “sparks discussions.”
At the age of 19, Pizzaballa received the habit of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), making his solemn profession in 1989. He was ordained a priest a year later, by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi of Bologna
where he remained for the next three decades and counting
Despite initially not knowing the local languages
he oversaw the publication of the Roman Missal in Hebrew just five years after his arrival
He was also the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem’s vicar general for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel
In 1999, Pizzaballa formally began serving in the Custody of the Holy Land, the name given to the Franciscans’ Jerusalem-based province. Only five years later, at the age of 39, he was appointed Custos of the Holy Land
the major superior of the Friars Minor in the Middle East
Earlier this month, at the age of 58 (still youthful in ecclesiastical terms), he received the red hat from Pope Francis, becoming the first resident cardinal in Jerusalem’s history and the 10th-youngest member of the College of Cardinals
What are the qualities that have propelled Pizzaballa through the Church hierarchy
a Bergamo priest who served in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State
“He is not a flashy type, someone who seeks applause, but he is a fine and respectful man, an intellectual who has a great experience of the Middle Eastern world. Especially the Jewish one,” Scotti told the newspaper Prima Bergamo
he is highly appreciated because he has always been up to par
While others see his ascent as an acknowledgment of his leadership skills, Pizzaballa himself sees his elevation as “a sign of attention from the Church of Rome toward the Mother Church
The future Cardinal Pizzaballa in Jerusalem's Cathedral of Saint James in 2016
Fallaner via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Will his offer be accepted?Is Hamas likely to take up Pizzaballa’s offer to be exchanged for children seized from southern Israel
In the Times of Israel’s view, the answer is no. “The offer is unlikely to be considered by Hamas,” it said Oct
The newspaper did not suggest any reasons for its conclusion
One might be that the organization is bracing for an all-out war with Israel and therefore unable or unwilling to consider such an offer
While Iran has suggested that Hamas would free the roughly 200 hostages in exchange for an end to Israeli airstrikes
it is unclear whether Hamas itself has set any conditions for their release
In this uncertain and fast-moving situation
Pizzaballa’s gesture may simply fail to register with Hamas
the cardinal noted that neither he nor his office has had any direct contact with the group
“You can’t talk to Hamas. It is very difficult,” he said, according to Reuters
Leave a comment
While Pizzaballa’s proposal is unlikely to be taken up by Hamas
If so, that would be significant as Israeli diplomats have strongly criticized Pizzaballa for a statement issued on the day of the Hamas attack on Israel by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
During Monday’s briefing with journalists, Pizzaballa reportedly said he was not responsible for drafting the document, which helped to spark a crisis in Vatican-Israel relations
“The Israeli foreign ministry is very irritated and I understand their reasoning,” he commented
His hostage exchange offer may perhaps contribute to easing tensions
The diplomatic incident highlights the extremely sensitive conditions in which Pizzaballa operates as Latin Patriarch
That he is widely seen as the pope’s representative in the Holy Land amplifies his remarks and means they have an impact on Vatican-Israel relations
the cardinal remains more accessible to the media than many of his brethren — living up
to the alleged etymology of his name as “someone who is talkative” or “sparks discussions.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa meets with well-wishers at the Vatican on Oct
Pizzaballa’s emergence as a major Catholic voice on the world stage is a notable development
As the historian and commentator Massimo Faggioli wrote this week in a Commonweal essay
“The fact that the Patriarch of Jerusalem is now a cardinal means there will be a stronger relationship between Rome and Jerusalem
and more of a voice for the Church of Jerusalem in both Rome and the global Church.”
Faggioli said that the Pizzaballa’s emergence “couldn’t have come at a more delicate moment” — not only because of the Israel-Hamas war but also because of a “shift in historical narratives” that could have a profound impact on Catholic-Jewish relations
“Though the relationship between Jerusalem and Rome has become stronger
it’s happened as the globalization of Catholicism has led to a shrinking of the ‘Jewish prism’ in the historical and theological understanding of Christianity,” he wrote
Pizzaballa will help to shape the Church’s response to this epochal change
while overseeing a divided Catholic community in a global hotspot
Pizzaballa occupies one of the most strenuous positions in the Catholic Church after that of pope
although John Paul II was 58 when he was elected
Yet the Italian cardinal does have the advantage of being well known to churchmen around the world
many of whom will have met him during visits to the Holy Land (or Rome
When the time comes, commentators are likely to be divided over whether his nationality is an asset or a disadvantage. The proportion of Italians among the cardinal electors has shrunk to only 12% under Pope Francis
But it is impossible to rule out that participants in a future conclave will favor an Italian renaissance
but what seems certain is that Pizzaballa is facing the greatest leadership challenge of his life — and when this crisis ends
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Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa only received the red hat a couple of weeks ago
But he has already become arguably one of the world\u2019s most prominent cardinals
His global visibility increased significantly Monday when he made one of the more striking proposals by a member of the College of Cardinals in recent memory
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who serves Latin Rite Catholics in Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine
During an online briefing with journalists, he said: \u201CIf I am ready for an exchange
raising his profile instantly both in the Catholic world and beyond.
what difference \u2014 if any \u2014 will his proposal make
Share
Pierbattista Pizzaballa was born in 1965 in Cologno al Serio, one of Italy\u2019s oldest towns
located in the northern province of Bergamo.
His Christian name is a combination of Piero (Peter) and Battista (Baptist). His surname is said to be specific to the Bergamo region. Sadly, it doesn\u2019t seem to be pizza-related. One source suggests it\u2019s derived from an archaic term in the Lombard dialect
meaning \u201Csomeone who is talkative\u201D or \u201Csparks discussions.\u201D
At the age of 19, Pizzaballa received the habit of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), making his solemn profession in 1989. He was ordained a priest a year later, by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi of Bologna
Despite initially not knowing the local languages
He was also the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem\u2019s vicar general for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel
In 1999, Pizzaballa formally began serving in the Custody of the Holy Land, the name given to the Franciscans\u2019 Jerusalem-based province. Only five years later, at the age of 39, he was appointed Custos of the Holy Land
Earlier this month, at the age of 58 (still youthful in ecclesiastical terms), he received the red hat from Pope Francis, becoming the first resident cardinal in Jerusalem\u2019s history and the 10th-youngest member of the College of Cardinals
a Bergamo priest who served in the Vatican\u2019s Secretariat of State
described him as an \u201Cexcellent person.\u201D
\u201CHe is not a flashy type, someone who seeks applause, but he is a fine and respectful man, an intellectual who has a great experience of the Middle Eastern world. Especially the Jewish one,\u201D Scotti told the newspaper Prima Bergamo.
While others see his ascent as an acknowledgment of his leadership skills, Pizzaballa himself sees his elevation as \u201Ca sign of attention from the Church of Rome toward the Mother Church
Is Hamas likely to take up Pizzaballa\u2019s offer to be exchanged for children seized from southern Israel
In the Times of Israel\u2019s view, the answer is no. \u201CThe offer is unlikely to be considered by Hamas,\u201D it said Oct
One might be that the organization is bracing for an all-out war with Israel and therefore unable or unwilling to consider such an offer.
While Iran has suggested that Hamas would free the roughly 200 hostages in exchange for an end to Israeli airstrikes
it is unclear whether Hamas itself has set any conditions for their release.
Pizzaballa\u2019s gesture may simply fail to register with Hamas
\u201CYou can\u2019t talk to Hamas. It is very difficult,\u201D he said, according to Reuters
Leave a comment
While Pizzaballa\u2019s proposal is unlikely to be taken up by Hamas
If so, that would be significant as Israeli diplomats have strongly criticized Pizzaballa for a statement issued on the day of the Hamas attack on Israel by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
an ecumenical body to which he belongs.
During Monday\u2019s briefing with journalists, Pizzaballa reportedly said he was not responsible for drafting the document, which helped to spark a crisis in Vatican-Israel relations.
\u201CThe Israeli foreign ministry is very irritated and I understand their reasoning,\u201D he commented.
His hostage exchange offer may perhaps contribute to easing tensions.
The diplomatic incident highlights the extremely sensitive conditions in which Pizzaballa operates as Latin Patriarch
That he is widely seen as the pope\u2019s representative in the Holy Land amplifies his remarks and means they have an impact on Vatican-Israel relations
the cardinal remains more accessible to the media than many of his brethren \u2014 living up
to the alleged etymology of his name as \u201Csomeone who is talkative\u201D or \u201Csparks discussions.\u201D
Pizzaballa\u2019s emergence as a major Catholic voice on the world stage is a notable development.
As the historian and commentator Massimo Faggioli wrote this week in a Commonweal essay
\u201CThe fact that the Patriarch of Jerusalem is now a cardinal means there will be a stronger relationship between Rome and Jerusalem
and more of a voice for the Church of Jerusalem in both Rome and the global Church.\u201D
Faggioli said that the Pizzaballa\u2019s emergence \u201Ccouldn\u2019t have come at a more delicate moment\u201D \u2014 not only because of the Israel-Hamas war but also because of a \u201Cshift in historical narratives\u201D that could have a profound impact on Catholic-Jewish relations
\u201CThough the relationship between Jerusalem and Rome has become stronger
it\u2019s happened as the globalization of Catholicism has led to a shrinking of the \u2018Jewish prism\u2019 in the historical and theological understanding of Christianity,\u201D he wrote
Pizzaballa will help to shape the Church\u2019s response to this epochal change
while overseeing a divided Catholic community in a global hotspot.
could he ultimately assume that role?
When the time comes, commentators are likely to be divided over whether his nationality is an asset or a disadvantage. The proportion of Italians among the cardinal electors has shrunk to only 12% under Pope Francis
but what seems certain is that Pizzaballa is facing the greatest leadership challenge of his life \u2014 and when this crisis ends
Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa
He was serving as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem since June 2016
His Beatitude was born in 1965 in Cologno al Serio in Italy
He entered the Franciscan Cristo Re province in 1976 and made his first profession of vows in 1985
followed by his perpetual profession in 1989
He holds a Bachelors degree in theology from the Pontifical Antonianum University
and completed his studies in the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem
He subsequently served as professor of biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical and Archaeological Sciences of Jerusalem
The new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem began his service in the Custody of the Holy Land in 1999 and in 2011 was appointed as Guardian of the Convent of Sts
He served as patriarchal vicar from 2003 to 2008
The General Definitorium appointed him as Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion in 2004
His Beatitude is also a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
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