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Tuesday, December 30, 2014


The Twentieth Century Bishops of Reggio Emilia

The year 2014 has seen the publication of two excellent works on the episcopate.  The already mentioned three volume Episcopologio Agustiniano came to us from Spain and now we have an equally excellent book on the twentieth century bishops of Reggio Emilia which includes bishops native to the diocese and province and notes on a bishop of Reggio who governed that diocese from the last years of the sixteenth century through most of the first quarter of the seventeenth century.

Le genealogie episcopali dei Vescovi di Reggio Emilia del secolo XX is the result of the meticulous research of Father Roberto Fornaciari, a monk priest of the Camaldolese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict.  Father Fornaciari has presented us with a work whose scope is a specific diocese and region during a defined period in its history. 

The author’s erudition is evident in the precision of the details for each bishop and the number and richness of the footnotes. Father Fornaciari includes the episcopal lineage of each bishop as well as the names of the bishops for whom each bishop served as either the consecrator or co-consecrator.

The book includes an appendix which provides information on Bishop Claudio Rangoni, Bishop of Reggio Emilia from 1592 to 1621.  This Bishop Claudio Rangoni – there were two, both from Modena and cousins – is notable because it is through him that Pope Pius XI and a large number of Polish bishops finally found their way into the great line of Scipione Rebiba.  Father Fornaciari provides a short but precise account of how this came about, citing the research of Dr. Krzysztof Rafal Prokop in identifying Bishop Rangoni as a key consecrator in that line and the author’s own research which found the consecrator of Bishop Rangoni and which provided the connection to the Rebiba line. I previously mentioned Father Fornaciari’s research on Bishop Rangoni elsewhere on this blog.

The book is completed by interesting notes on episcopal lineages, an index of names, and a general index.  It can be ordered from the publisher, Antiche Porte editrice.  Information can be found on the publisher’s website:  http://www.anticheporte.it/web/

I congratulate Father Fornaciari on the publication of this well-researched and interesting book. I am delighted to have it in my library and I heartily recommend it.