Nomination of Pizzaballa’s successor ratified by the Holy See – Francesco Patton named Custos of the Holy Land

Br Francesco Patton is the new Custos of
the Holy Land, succeeding Br Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who led the Custody for
the past ten years. The nomination by the General Council of the Order of
Friars Minor was ratified by the Holy See, according to the Pontifical Statutes
dealing with this entity of the Franciscan Order.

The
new Custos was born in Vigo Meano, Italy in the Archdiocese of Trent on 23
December 1963, and belongs to the Province of St Anthony of the Friars Minor of
northern Italy. He made his first
religious profession on 7 September 1983 and his solemn profession on 4 October
1986. He was ordained a priest on 26 May 1989. In 1993 he earned a Licentiate
in Communication Sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

He
has served in various capacities in his province and also within the Order. He
was twice Secretary General of the General Chapters in 2003 and 2009; Visitator
General in 2003; Minister Provincial of St Vigilium of Trent from 2008 to 2016;
and President of the Conference of Provincial Ministers of Italy and Albania (COMPI) from 2010 to 2013.

Br
Francesco has also served in many capacities outside of the Order, including:
as member of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council and secretary of the Diocesan
Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese of Trent; professor of Social
Communications at the Studio Teologico Accademico Tridentino; collaborator of
the Diocesan Weekly, of Diocesan Radio and of Telepace Trento. He has also been
enrolled with the journalists of Trentino-Alto Adige as a publicist since 1991.