Archbishop Luigi Vari

Archbishop Luigi Vari, Archbishop of Gaeta, was born on March 2, 1957, in Segni, in the Diocese of Segni. He completed his classical secondary studies in 1975 and was a student of the Pontifical Leonine College of Anagni, obtaining a baccalaureate in theology at the end of the institutional cycle. He was ordained a priest for Velletri-Segni on September 13, 1980. He then continued his theological studies in Rome as a resident of the Pontifical French Seminary, obtaining a licentiate in biblical studies from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He was incardinated in Velletri e Segni on October 20, 1981. Returning to the diocese in 1983, he served as parochial vicar of Santa Maria in Trivio; in 1987 he was appointed assistant of diocesan Catholic Action and regional assistant for Lazio of the Catholic Action youth sector; and in 1991 he was appointed parish priest of Santa Maria Maggiore in Valmontone. He attended doctoral courses in theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (1998-1999) and in 2010 defended his thesis, obtaining a doctorate in theology summa cum laude. He also taught Catholic religion (1983-1991), directed the diocesan schools office and was responsible for teachers of Catholic religion (2006-2008), and has been a member of the presbyteral council since 1983, a lecturer at the Pontifical Leonine College of Anagni since 1985, and a member of the college of consultors since 1991. He has been episcopal vicar for pastoral care since 1995, taught New Testament at the Apollinare Institute of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (1999-2002), has been extraordinary professor of the Leonine Theological Institute since 2002, and has directed the Leonine Theological Institute of Anagni since 2010. On February 8, 2003, he was named a chaplain of His Holiness. He is the author of numerous publications of a biblical, historical and vocational character. On April 21, 2016, he was appointed Archbishop of Gaeta. He received episcopal ordination on June 21, 2016, with Vincenzo Apicella as principal consecrator and Bernardo Fabio D'Onorio and Lorenzo Loppa as co-consecrators. He was installed as Archbishop of Gaeta on July 9, 2016.