Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia
Lorenzo Ghizzoni was born on April 3, 1955, in Cognento—located in the Diocese of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla and the municipality of Campagnola (Reggio Emilia). He entered the seminary as a young boy and pursued classical studies at the local public high school. After completing his secondary education, he studied theology at the Interdiocesan Theological Institute, earning a Baccalaureate degree. He was ordained a priest on September 14, 1979, and incardinated into the Diocese of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla. From 1979 to 1984, he attended the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining Licentiate degrees in Canon Law and Psychology. He is registered with the Order of Psychologists of Emilia-Romagna. Since 1984, he has served as a lecturer in Canon Law at the Diocesan Seminary of Reggio Emilia and in Psychology at the Institute of Religious Sciences; he was Vice-Chancellor of the Diocesan Curia (1984–1994) and Director of the Diocesan Vocations Service (1986–1996). Since 1987, he has served as an expert psychologist and Defender of the Bond for matrimonial matters and cases at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, as well as a lecturer at the Higher Institute for Formators sponsored by the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was Deputy Director of the National Vocations Center (1992–2006) and Rector of the Episcopal Seminary of Reggio Emilia (1994–2006). He also served as Diocesan Assistant to the Catholic Jurists (1998–2006), was responsible for conducting and publishing the training seminar on spiritual direction in the service of vocational guidance, and acted as the creator and moderator of national conferences for the National Vocations Center, as well as a member of the editorial board for the Center's journal. On February 17, 2006, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Ottana and Auxiliary Bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla. He received episcopal consecration on April 29, 2006. During his tenure as Auxiliary Bishop, he simultaneously served as Vicar General of the same diocese. He has published numerous articles in various journals and contributed to works by various authors, focusing primarily on vocational and psychological topics.