‘In persona episcopi’: new Pope continues union of Italian dioceses
June 19, 2025
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Benoni Ambăruş of Rome as archbishop of Matera-Irsina and bishop of Tricarico, Italy.
The Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina, with 126,000 Catholics, and the Diocese of Tricarico, with 27,200 Catholics, have been united in persona episcopi (in the person of the bishop) since March 2023, part of Pope Francis’s trend of uniting Italian dioceses.
Archbishop-designate Ambăruş, 50, succeeds Archbishop Antonio Caiazzo. In an unusual move that had the appearance of a demotion, Pope Francis in January transferred Archbishop Caiazzo to a diocese 400 miles away, but permitted him to retain the title of archbishop.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
