Ennio Antonelli (born 18 November 1936) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who was president of the Pontifical Council for the Family from 2008 to 2012. He has been a bishop since 1982, serving as bishop of Gubbio from 1982 to 1988, archbishop of Perugia from 1988 to 1995, and archbishop of Florence from 2001 to 2008. He led the Italian Episcopal Conference from 1995 to 2001 and was raised to the rank of cardinal in 2003.
Biography
Antonelli, right, greeting Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in 2007
He worked at the Seminary of Perugia as vice-rector, professor, and finally rector. He also taught theology at the regional seminary in Assisi, as well as art history in secondary schools in Assisi and Deruta. He was also a chaplain to Catholic teachers and student groups and a parish priest.[1]
On 25 May 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Gubbio.[2]
He received his episcopal consecration on 29 August 1982 from Decio Lucio Grandoni, Bishop of Todi.[citation needed]
Antonelli is generally seen as a moderate, with a strong interest in social justice and peace issues. In response to demands that the Church denounce divorcees who were candidates for political office in the 1990s, he said the Church should be more concerned with their voting record.[6] When in 2009 the Italian Court of Cassation declared there was no substantial difference in law between a family based on marriage and one resulting from cohabitation, he reacted by saying that, in the light of recent sociological studies that reveal the benefits to society of what is called the traditional family and the disadvantages for society of single-parent families and those of cohabiting couples, the traditional family is needed more than ever today both for family members and for society as a whole.[12]
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