1. Fernando Filoni was born on 15 April 1946 and is an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who serves as Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
21 Facts About Fernando Filoni
1. 2.
Fernando Filoni was Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2011 to 2019.
3.
Fernando Filoni is an expert in Chinese affairs and on the Middle East.
4.
Fernando Filoni entered the seminary and earned doctorates in Philosophy and in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University.
5.
Fernando Filoni was ordained a priest on 3 July 1970.
6.
Fernando Filoni served in the Nunciatures of Sri Lanka from 1981 until 1983, Iran from 1983 to 1985, Brazil from 1989 to 1992 and the Philippines from 1992 until 2000.
7.
Fernando Filoni received episcopal consecration from Pope John Paul II on 19 March 2001.
8.
Fernando Filoni chose Lumen Gentium Christus as his episcopal motto.
9.
Fernando Filoni remained in Baghdad as American bombs fell, which he called "nothing exceptional".
10.
Fernando Filoni expressed mixed feelings towards the new constitution, which he described as both a "positive step towards normalization in the country" and "contradictory in some areas", and supported the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
11.
Fernando Filoni came close to being killed in Baghdad on 1 February 2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature.
12.
Fernando Filoni served in Iraq and Jordan until 25 February 2006 when he was named Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
13.
Fernando Filoni was responsible for organizing the activities of nuncios around the world in their activities concerning the local churches.
14.
Observers noted that during his time as substitute, Fernando Filoni never established a strong rapport with his immediate superior, Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.
15.
In 2008, Archbishop Fernando Filoni was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
16.
Fernando Filoni said that Filoni "knew in every detail the situation regarding Cardinal McCarrick".
17.
Fernando Filoni received checks totalling $3,500 from McCarrick between 2008 and 2013.
18.
La Nazione remarked that to be reassigned after only four years as Substitute was unusual and speculated that Fernando Filoni had been moved because of a "stormy" relationship with Bertone.
19.
Fernando Filoni was created Cardinal-Deacon of Nostra Signora di Coromoto.
20.
On 24 April 2012 Fernando Filoni was made a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and the Congregation for Catholic Education.
21.
Fernando Filoni took part in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, and was considered to be a papabile, or possible candidate to be elected pope.