Ruggero Franceschini

Ruggero Franceshini was born in Prignano sulla Secchia, Italy, on 1 September 1938. 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.[1]

On 2 July 1993, he was appointed apostolic vicar of Anatolia and titular bishop of Sicilibba, North Africa.[1] 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 Izmir.[1] Shortly after arriving in Izmir, a police car that a deranged man had stolen struck him crossing the road. He spent months in the hospital and left him 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.[2]

On 12 June 2010, he was given the additional responsibility of apostolic administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia[3] 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".[2]

On 7 November 2015, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop and named Lorenzo Piretto to succeed him.[4]