Cardinal Oscar Cantoni, the Bishop of Como, Italy, is known for his focus on promoting Catholic education, charitable outreach and social justice work.

Born on September 1, 1950 in Lenno, Italy, Cantoni attended Classical High School at the Collegio Gallio in Como of the Somaschi Fathers. After graduating from high school, he entered the Como Seminary to undertake courses in theology. Besides collaborating with spirituality magazines, in which he published articles on vocational topics, he published several books for young people.

Cantoni was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Como in 1975 and served in various pastoral and administrative roles, including as a parish priest, teacher of religion, and episcopal vicar for clergy.

From 1995 to 1986 he was in charge of the promotion of vocations in the seminary; collaborator in the parish of Santa Maria Regina in Como; chaplain to the Sisters at the Collegio Santa Chiara in Muggiò; and from 1986 to 1999, director of the Diocesan Vocations Centre and religious education teacher in secondary schools in Como.

From 1990 to 2005, he was spiritual director of theologians in the diocesan seminary; preacher of Spiritual Exercises for priests and the Ordo Virginum in the diocese.

On 11 July 2000 he was appointed Prelate of Honor of His Holiness. From 2003 to 2005 he was episcopal vicar for the clergy of Como.

In 2005, Pope John Paul II appointed Cantoni as Bishop of Crema. During his time there, he initiated several notable projects, including establishing in 2009 Uni-Crema, a “free university for adults” aimed at promoting cultural and social citizenship rooted in Christian tradition. In 2010, he organized Italy’s first diocesan “youth mission,” sending young people to evangelize in places like nightclubs and theaters.

Cantoni returned to lead his home diocese when Pope Francis named him Bishop of Como in 2016. His ministry there has focused on charitable outreach, particularly to migrants and the poor. In 2020, he dealt with the tragic murder of a priest in his diocese who was known for serving the homeless and migrants. Cantoni spoke of feeling the priest’s spiritual protection and blessing on his ministry after this event.

As Bishop of Como, Cantoni ordained Gabriele Martinelli as a priest in 2017. Martinelli was later accused of sexually abusing a younger student when they were both pupils at the Vatican’s St. Pius X pre-seminary.¹Cantoni testified in a Vatican trial regarding his handling of a seminarian accused of abuse. He explained his handling of Martinelli, stating that since Martinelli had been in Como, first as a deacon and then as a priest, there had not been any reports of abuse. Cantoni described it as “a transitory homosexual tendency linked to adolescence.” However, after ordaining Martinelli in 2017, Cantoni took disciplinary measures against him following the dissemination of a journalistic investigation in the same year.

Pope Francis elevated Cantoni to the rank of cardinal in August 2022.

During his tenure in Como, the number of priests continued a declining trend, from 527 in 2016 to 458 in 2021. Male religious also continued to fall from 172 to 147 over the same period; female religious also dropped from 540 to 475.

Cardinal Cantoni is a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, giving him a role in selecting future bishops.

Apart from Italian, it is not clear if Cardinal Cantoni speaks any other languages.