Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi is a former Archbishop of L’Aquila who has been dedicated to tending to his flock after a devastating earthquake in 2009. In 2020 Pope Francis appointed him the head of a study commission on a possible female diaconate.

Born on August 19, 1948, in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, he entered the Episcopal Seminary of Ascoli Piceno in 1965 and was ordained a priest on September 14, 1973.

Petrocchi pursued higher education, obtaining a degree in philosophy from the University of Macerata and a degree in psychology from La Sapienza University in Rome.

Throughout his ecclesiastical life, Petrocchi held various positions within the Church. He served as a parish priest and taught religion in state schools. He also edited a diocesan newspaper and served for three years as a psychologist at a family counseling center in the diocese.

In 1998, he was appointed Bishop of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno, where he served until 2013. On May 8, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as the Archbishop of L’Aquila, a position he held until 2024.

In June 2018, Pope Francis elevated him to the cardinalate in recognition for his dedication and service to the Church, particularly in areas suffering from natural disaster.

Two years later, the Pope appointed Petrocchi to head a new commission — requested at the Synod on the Amazon — to study the possibility of women deacons.

A previous commission had been composed in August 2016, shortly after the International Union of Superiors General had asked the Pope to think about it in an audience they had with him in May 2016. That commission handed in their research, which the Pope said was inconclusive.

As Archbishop of L’Aquila, Petrocchi faced the challenging task of leading an archdiocese still recovering from the devastating earthquake of 2009. He was credited with revitalizing the Church’s pastoral outreach and resolving economic problems within the local curia. His leadership during this difficult period was marked by compassion and a focus on rebuilding both the physical and spiritual aspects of the community.

Petrocchi’s work in earthquake-affected areas has been particularly noteworthy. He has been deeply engaged in regions that suffered heartbreaking losses during earthquakes in Italy between 2009 and 2016, which claimed more than 600 lives. His efforts to provide support and guidance to these communities have been widely recognized.

Cardinal Petrocchi seems to attribute great importance to the Eucharist in Christian life, underlining the central role of this sacrament in the Catholic faith.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cardinal celebrated Masses broadcast on TV and live-streamed, demonstrating attention to the need to make the liturgy accessible even in exceptional circumstances. Petrocchi has also regularly celebrated Masses on significant occasions, such poignant anniversaries of the L’Aquila earthquake.

The cardinal has emphasized the community aspect of the liturgy and the Eucharist, and has spoken about a “spirituality of communion” and the maturation of a “diocesan conscience.”  Petrocchi tends to connect the liturgy and the Eucharist to the concrete lives of the faithful.

The cardinal seems to give importance to the liturgical formation of the faithful. During his episcopate in Latina, he promoted initiatives such as the “basic course for pastoral animators” and introduced a six-year course for preparation for the Sacraments of Christian initiation.

Cardinal Petrocchi was often involved in the Celestinian Forgiveness (Perdonanza Celestiniana), an annual celebration deeply rooted in the cultural identity of L’Aquila. Established in 1294 by papal bull by Pope Celestine V who abdicated the papacy, a plenary indulgence (remission of sins) is granted to all pilgrims who visit the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila on August 28 and 29 each year. Pope Francis visited L’Aquila for this event in 2022, and Petrocchi noted that it was the first time in 728 years that a pope had opened the holy door for this celebration.¹The mayor reads the papal bull to the citizens, and traditionally, a cardinal (or in 2022, the Pope himself) opens the Holy Door of the Basilica.

Cardinal Petrocchi has chosen not to comment on many pressing contemporary problems in the Church and the world, preferring to focus on local pastoral care, rebuilding efforts, and spiritual leadership, particularly in the face of natural disasters affecting his archdiocese.