Propaganda Fide Undersecretary Fr Massimo Cenci dies, pope remembers him
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "My thoughts and yours in this moment go to Fr Massimo Cenci, undersecretary, who died suddenly. May the Lord reward him for all the work he accomplished in mission and service of Holy See," Benedict XVI said as he remembered Fr Massimo Cenci, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) who passed away this morning. The Pontiff spoke at the annual audience of the Pontifical Missionary Works.
Fr Massimo Cenci, 68, was undersecretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of peoples since 2001. The pope had just renewed his mandate for another five years, a task to which he had devoted all his energy in terms of organisation, visits to the missions and relations with bishops in missionary dioceses. Before that, in the late 1990s, because of his knowledge of the Brazilian Church, he was called to work at nunciature in Brasilia.
Ordained in 1975, he had been vocation guide, stimulating a missionary vocation among many young people. In 1979, he was sent to Amazonia, Brazil, where he took on a number of tasks: parishes in the city of Manaus, "street" pastoral work, evangelisation among indigenous peoples and principal at the Manaus regional seminary.
Fr Cenci was born on 7 February 1944 in Desio, Milan (Italy). Very early, he and his family moved to Cannes, France, where he lived until 1958.
He entered PIME as an adult in 1964, attending the Institute's seminary in Cervignano del Friuli, Udine (Italy).
His encounter with the Communione e Liberazione movement strengthened his missionary and priestly vocation, which began at the Dergano Parish Church in Milan and continued in Brazil.
Mgr Giuliano Frigeni, current bishop of Parintins, Amazonia (Brazil), studied and went on mission with him. Last night, he spoke from Brazil with his fellow brother to reminisce about their 37 years as priests, whose anniversary was yesterday.
Fr Cenci passed away this morning around 6.40 am, probably from a heart attack according to doctors.
His funeral will be celebrated at 11 am next Monday at Regina Pacis Church in Rosolino Pilo Square, Rome. Card Fernando Filoni, prefect of Propaganda Fide, will conduct the service.
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