Monsignor Lucio Bonora. He passed away earlier today in Rome at the age of 73
Letter #4, 2025, Tuesday, January 21: Top Ten 2024 #7
A good and kind priest who lived in the Domus Santa Marta and worked in the Vatican for many years died early today in the Policlinico Gemelii Hospital in Rome. His name was Monsignor Lucio Bonora. He was 73.
Here is a brief report on his life and passing (link).
Diocese of Treviso in mourning: Monsignor Lucio Bonora passed away in Rome
An official in the Secretariat of State and judge of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, he was 73 years old and was a native of Caerano di San Marco. A devotee and passionate scholar of Saint Pius X, in October 2023 he saw the “dream” of the “Peregrinatio corporis” come true
A profound grief for the Diocese of Treviso in northern Italy. Monsignor Lucio Bonora, 73, a priest from Treviso, who had served the Holy See for many years as an official in the Secretariat of State and, since 2015, appointed by Pope Francis as judge of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Vatican City State, passed away this morning, January 21, at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, where he had been hospitalized after a short illness.
Author of numerous historical publications on the diocese of Treviso and studies on the figures of priests and bishops, he has taken particular care of many texts on the figure and ministry of Msgr. Andrea Giacinto Longhin, bishop of Treviso from 1904 to 1936, beatified by John Paul II in 2002.
A devotee and passionate scholar of Saint Pius X, in October 2023 he saw the “dream” of the “Peregrinatio corporis” of the holy pope from Treviso come true, whom he accompanied from the Vatican to Treviso, on behalf of Card. Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. He, a Treviso native serving in the Vatican, was chosen to accompany the relics of Saint Pius X throughout the pilgrimage in Veneto: to Treviso, Padua and Venice.
And to Saint Pius X, Msgr. Bonora dedicated his latest work, the result of a long research and collection: Homage to Pius X. Contemporary Portraits, with a preface by Pope Francis, released in April 2024. About a hundred portraits of the saintly Pope from Treviso, which depicted him as a priest, bishop, patriarch and Pope, made by both famous artists and humble workers.
Born in Caerano di San Marco on 14 October 1951, ordained a priest on 19 February 1977, Monsignor Bonora was parish vicar at the Cathedral of Montebelluna from 1977 to 1981, diocesan assistant of the ACR from 1981 to 1991, vice-chancellor of the Episcopal Curia of Treviso from 1986 to 1991 and, at the same time, notary of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal and secretary of the Diocesan Commission of Sacred Art. From 1991 to 1998 he served as parish priest of Canizzano. From 1996 to 2005 he was appointed judge of the Triveneto Regional Ecclesiastical Tribunal and from 2001 to 2011 canon of the Cathedral of Treviso, of which he was currently honorary canon.
Having graduated in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, in 1992 he obtained a Diploma in Paleography, Archival Science and Diplomatics from the State Archives of Venice and a few years ago he obtained a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of St. Anselm in Rome. He was a technical-scientific consultant for the “Ecclesiae Venetae” Project for the inventory of the archives of the dioceses of Veneto.
In 2005 he was called to the Secretariat of State as an official and in 2009 he was awarded the title of Chaplain of His Holiness; since February 2013 he was also Prelate of the Apostolic Camera.
In 2015 Pope Francis appointed him judge of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Vatican City State.
The condolences of Monsignor Tomasi, Bishop of Teviso
“I am deeply saddened by the death of Don Lucio Bonora,” said his bishop, Michele Tomasi.
“We had agreed to meet,” he continued, “on the occasion of a short trip of mine to Rome, and the date set was precisely yesterday (Monday, January 20). And I truly had the gift of meeting him, during his hospitalization at the Gemelli Polyclinic, and of administering to him the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, for which he was waiting for from ‘his Bishop.’ It was a moving moment, in which once again I was able to experience the deep and rooted faith of Don Lucio, his full entrustment to God, lived throughout his existence, witnessed in his last moments of life. The sign of the cross that he still managed to make was an eloquent image of a life given.”
—RM
With the aid, and in the hope, of Christ, believers can
overcome any difficulties…
Here are the testimonies of 10 of His people
Top Ten 2024
It was a difficult year. Around the world there were wars and rumors of wars; brutally contentious elections; assassinations and assassination attempts; deadly storms, earthquakes and mudslides. Conflicts within the Church — excommunications, criminal trials, continuing abuse allegations and the tug-of-war between modernism and tradition — were sometimes just as painful.
Yet the Church is — in a way the world is not — consecrated and filled with grace by her divine Spouse, the Lord Jesus, who ever and always “makes all things new.”
The grace and peace of Christ is available to all Christians of good will, and in 2024, as in every year, it was the antidote to the sickness of our modern age, and the leavening of our lives otherwise weighed down by the consequences of sin.
Jesus did indeed, in 2024, somehow renew us and bring us joy and strength, and one way He accomplished this was through the lives and testimonies of His people. We have chosen 10 of them for your reflection here.
Sr Paula Kwandao Phonprasertruska, Head of Talitha Kum Asia
“A tool to bring the love of God to people”
Between 2008 and 2019, the number of human trafficking victims identified worldwide more than quadrupled, from around 30,000 to nearly 120,000. When Covid arrived, with its consequent travel restrictions, these numbers fell, but they are now back to pre-pandemic levels — and these numbers represent only the victims who have been identified; the real numbers could be many times these.
As Pope John Paul II said in 2002, human trafficking is “a shocking offense against human dignity and a grave violation of human rights.” All it takes is a quick internet search of the heartbreaking stories of trafficking survivors to bring home the import of the Pope’s words.
In May 2024, Catholic women religious gathered in Rome for the second annual General Assembly of Talitha Kum, the international network of sisters whose primary work is to fight human trafficking and care for its victims. One of those in attendance was Sr. Paula Kwandao Phonprasertruksa, a native of Thailand and Talitha Kum’s regional representative for Asia.
Sr. Paula, a Sister of St. Paul de Chartres, was named the head of the Asia branch in October 2022. She has been a part of Talitha Kum Thailand since 2010.
Working against trafficking in Thailand is particularly difficult because of the border with Myanmar, which is embroiled in a terrible civil war that has killed 50,000 and displaced 3 million — and its constant flow of vulnerable people escaping the violence. Add to this the fact that the previous government of Thailand actually promoted prostitution (a new Thai law has at least outlawed trafficking), plus the fact that large numbers of desperate young people in refugee camps who have nothing to do can access drugs and often violent online porngraphy through their phones — and conditions are ripe for horrifying exploitation of the vulnerable.
Sr. Paula described her work in Thailand: “We work with different people such as ethnic groups living in the borderland, in the high mountains. The difficulty of the journey makes them appreciate and feel loved when we visit them. Their smiling faces, the warm greeting, and pure hearts. These things drive me to be more dedicated to my work, to make sure they are safe, and have sustainable economic development going forward.”
Not only care for victims, but prevention, is a priority for the Asian network under Sr. Paula. Talitha Kum works for this through training and awareness-raising campaigns in schools, parishes, and local communities, targeting especially women, youth, religious communities, tribal communities, and migrant workers.
“Working with diverse groups of people, I can feel a power that drives us to move forward. The Holy Spirit allows us to communicate with each other understandably, though we differ in language, culture, and lifestyle. These differences do not hinder our work,” says Sr. Paula.
“Talitha Kum allows me to fulfill my dream of being a tool to bring the love of God to people, open my eyes to the needs of others, teach me to forget myself and embrace others, be more patient, and dare to do new things and bravely confront the painful. I also have learned that a smiling face can soothe and encourage people around me…
“I believe my life is in God’s hands. He will guide me and protect me through my journey to do His mission; to restore the dignity of our brothers and sisters as sons of God, raise awareness of the threat of human trafficking, to end human trafficking in our world. Let us unite in prayer and work together as God’s servants. Together we can. Nothing is impossible for God. Let us put our trust in the Lord.”
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