College of Cardinals

Biographical notes

[Updated: 16.12.2011]

Notice: the biographical notes are only a working instrument for the press, for the exclusive use of accredited journalists.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology, was born in Merate, Italy on 18 October 1942. He was ordained a priest of the archdiocese of Milan on 28 June 1966 and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University and at the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

He taught the Old Testament at the theological faculty of northern Italy. From 1989 to 2007 he served as prefect of the Ambrosian Library in Milan.

He has written may books, articles for L’Osservatore Romano and L’Avvenire and hosts the television show Frontiers of the Spirit.

On 3 September 2007 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Villamagna in Proconsolari and president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and president of the Pontifical Commissions for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and for Sacred Archeology. He was consecrated on 29 September 2007.

• Congregation for Catholic Education;
• Pontifical Councils: for Inter-religious Dialogue; for Promoting New Evangelization;
• XII Ordinary Council of the Secretariat General of the Synod of Bishops.

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