The new military ordinary for Italy arrives from Sassari who takes the place of Monsignor Santo Marcianò. These are Monsignor Gian Franco Saba, so far archbishop of Sassari. The Vatican makes it known. Born in Olbia on 20 September 1968, after entering the diocesan seminary of Tempio-Amprias and continued his studies in the Pontifical Regional Seminary Umbrian of Assisi, he attended the theological institute affiliated to the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University. Moving to the Pontifical Sardinian Regional Seminary of Cagliari, he achieved the backell in theology at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sardinia. He also obtained his doctorate in theology and patronage sciences at the Pontifical Istituto Patristica Augustinianum in Rome. He attended the course of “Communication Systems in International Relations” at the Faculty of Letters of the University for Foreigners of Perugia. He was ordained a priest on October 23, 1993, incardinating himself in the diocese of Tempio-Ampurias.
In leaving the assignment by the end of the mandate, Monsignor Marcianò thanked, in particular the military chaplains. “We have witnessed, especially in recent times, to an unexpected resurgence and a progressive spread of many outbreaks of war, which somehow interpret the Italian military in some way,” he said in the homily of the mass celebrated on April 9 in the basilica of the Holy Apostles. «I think above all of those who are engaged in international missions which, on earth or in navigation, require growing commitment. I always visited them when I was able, especially in the holidays; And above all I saw the way you, chaplains, support them in this tiring and risky life, helping them to mature in their vocation of peace operators. A vocation that, in those places, tries to aim for dialogue, to the relationship with local populations, to the humanitarian service, but requires adequate training for all military, wherever they find themselves and whatever role they play. As a priests, you personally accompany everyone: from the military in the barracks to students in schools; by those who are engaged in emergencies to those who carry out high -responsibility of driving tasks, even in the world of institutions. You are welcomed and searched by them and stimulate their service to justice, to the common good, to peace, knowing that, in every place, it is a privilege – it was also for me – to bring Christ and its Gospel, bring the consolation oil that grew us in the ordination and that must be paid on the brothers “.
