Pope names 3 auxiliaries to Rome, including Venezuela-born doctor

The Pope's diocese now has 7 auxiliary bishops.

Pope Francis named three new auxiliary bishops of Rome on May 27, 2022: Father Riccardo Lamba and Father Daniele Salera, who were both parish priests in the diocese, and Father Baldassarre Reina, a priest from Agrigento who served as rector of the diocesan seminary. They will be ordained bishops on June 29, the vicariate said.

At the same time as these appointments, two auxiliary bishops, Guerino Di Tora – delegate for the northern sector – and Paolo Selvadagi – delegate for the western sector – are leaving their offices due to age limits.

Bishop Riccardo Lamba, 65, is originally from Venezuela, where his family left when he was nine years old to return to Italy. He studied medicine and psychology before entering the seminary and being ordained a priest in 1986. He then served as an assistant at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at Sacred Heart Catholic University for 10 years, and then as pastor of various parishes, including San Ponziano since 2018.

Bishop Daniele Salera, 51, is Roman by birth. He attended the seminary and studied sociology before being ordained a priest in 2002. He served as a parish vicar, teacher and vice rector of the Pontifical Roman Seminary from 2014 to 2016. Since then, he was pastor of San Frumenzio Parish in the north of the Eternal City.

Finally, the third auxiliary bishop appointed, Bishop Baldassarre Reina, is 51 years old and a Sicilian. After studying theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He was then a parish priest and assistant of the Diocesan Catholic Action. In addition to teaching duties in his diocese, he also served as rector of the seminary of Agrigento for almost a decade (2013-2022).

The vicariate of Rome, administered by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, will therefore have seven auxiliary bishops with the four previously appointed, which are Bishop Daniele Libanori – central sector; Bishop Paolo Ricciardi – health ministry; Bishop Dario Gervasi – southern sector; and Bishop Benoni Ambarus, in charge of the pastoral care of migrants.