#BreakingNews RIP to over 30 Priests who have Died amid Coronavirus in Italy - Many while Ministering to the Sick

Latest Death toll of the Coronavirus in Italy among priests with one positively infected bishop, another in quarantine.
The victims of which news has come are from the dioceses of Piacenza, Trento, Bolzano, Brescia, Bergamo and Ariano Irpino. The sick bishop is Olivero di Pinerolo, in Palletti is in isolation, from La Spezia.

A positive bishop has been hospitalized in isolation and another bishop is in self-imposed quarantine. The dead priests are from the dioceses of Piacenza-Bobbio and Brescia (2), Trento, Bolzano-Bressanone and Ariano Irpino (1). Bergamo has the most victims. The bishops instead are Derio Olivero, 59 years old, bishop of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato, who had had contact with a 32-year-old priest then hospitalized urgently for virus symptoms.
This is the case of Fr. Paolo Camminati, of the diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio, 53. From Trentino comes the news of the death of an elderly but still dynamic priest like Fr. Luigi Trottner, 86, parish priest of Campitello in Val di Fassa. In the nearby diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, however, Fr. Salvatore Tonini, 84 year old of Trentino origin, died. Among the dead in Bergamo are: Fr Guglielmo Micheli, 86; Fr. Adriano Locatelli, 71 years old; Fr. Ettore Persico, 77 years old; and Fr. Donato Forlani, 88. Brescia in a few hours: Fr. Giuseppe Toninelli, 79 years old,, and Monsignor Domenico Gregorelli, 86 years old, ordained in Florence, then moved to Fermo. A priest from the South who lost his life is Fr. Antonio Di Stasio, 85.

 Parma too continues to mourn its priests torn by the virus, which have reached 6. News of other priests who disappeared then arrive from Milan, Cremona and - first priest of the South - from Valllo of Lucania. To them are added religious, nuns, deacons, diocesan Curia staff, office managers and collaborators. Priests get sick and die like the others, together with the others, perhaps even more than the others, since they minister to the sick.

This is certainly the case in Bergamo where so far the priests who died for or with the virus are 17.Before the four cases reported at the beginning, Fr. Enzo Zoppetti (88 years), Fr. Francesco Perico (91) and Fr. Gian Pietro Paganessi (79) died in one day. In the previous days Fr. Remo Luiselli (81 years), Fr. Gaetano Burini (83), Fr. Umberto Tombini (83), Fr. Giuseppe Berardelli (72), Fr. Giancarlo Nava (70), Fr. Silvano Sirtoli (59 years old) , Fr. Tarcisio Casali (82), Monsignor Achille Belotti (82), Fr. Mariano Carrara (72) and Monsignor Tarcisio Ferrari (84). The Pope wanted to approach the Orobic diocese by calling its bishop Francesco Beschi. Priests who have served their communities for a lifetime are now buried without a funeral, like other coronavirus victims.


In the diocese of Lodi, the Pope called bishop Maurizio Malvestiti in recent days and, on March 17, for the pastor of another diocese who had been severely tested by the epidemic like Cremona. Francis - informed the Lombard diocese - he "intended to make sure of the health conditions of our bishop" Antonio Napolioni, hospitalized for several days due to the symptoms of the infection and then discharged. The Bishop, after thanking the Lord for the great support perceived in the proximity of so many bishops and faithful, therefore represented the Pope the drama of the situation, and above all he witnessed the moving momentum of service put in place by doctors, nurses, volunteers and many other categories of the community, which - proven - does not give up. In particular,  Pope Francis assured his prayer for all and, as always, concluded by asking to pray for him.

A diocese in one day - on March 19 - doubled the number of deceased priests: from two to four. Monsignor Giuseppe was added to the journalist Fr. Vincenzo Rini (great friend of Avvenire), 75 years old, and to Fr. Mario Cavalleri, 104 years old, who was a welcoming reality for the poor, drug addicts and refugees. Aresi, 91 years old, honorary canon and then penitentiary of the Cathedral, and Fr. Albino Aglio, 93 years old, from 1993 to 2002 parish priest of Sant'Imperio, in the city.


Milan in three days - between 17 and 19 March - lost three priests. . Great emotion aroused the disappearance (primarily attributable to heart problems) of Fr. Marco Barbetta, 82 years old, chaplain of the Polytechnic. Similar dismay for the death, after days of struggle in intensive care, of Fr. Luigi Giussani, 70, vicar of the popular Milanese parish of San Protaso. Two Ambrosian priests linked to CL, both always in the midst of young people. On the day of San Giuseppe the news of the death of Fr. Ezio Bisiello, 64 years old, a very loved character in Brianza having been parish priest of Ronco Briantino, after having carried out his ministry in the Varese area, between Somma Lombardo and Gallarate.

Even the diocese of Parma is paying a heavy tribute with 6 dead priests: Fr. Giorgio Bocchi and Fr. Pietro Montali (both 89 years old), Fr. Andrea Avanzini (the youngest priest who has died so far with his 55 years, probably infected by the elderly mother , positive, with whom he lived) and 94-year-old Fr. Franco Minardi, who was second director of the diocesan Caritas. M Artedi '17 died Fr. Still Fanfoni, 82 years. Two days later, Fr. Giuseppe Fadani, 83, died at the head of the parish of Carignano, at the gates of Parma.

The diocese of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla lost Fr. Guido Mortari, 83.
Fr. Giorgio Bosini , 79 years old, herefore it is still difficult to trace death to the virus with certainty, like the twins Fr. Mario and Fr. Giovanni Boselli, 87 years old, incredibly dead a few days later. Certainly killed by the contagion was Fr. Giovanni Cordani, 83, parish priest of Rivergaro, long teacher. To them is therefore added Fr. Paolo Camminati.

Of the diocese of Lodi was Fr. Carlo Patti, 66 years old, who also died on Tuesday 17 March.

To the two victims mentioned in the previous day, the previous death of Fr. Giovanni Girelli, 72 years old, serving in the pastoral unit of Orzinuovi, a town slain by Covid-19 , must be added in the diocese of Brescia .

Two deaths also in the dioceses of Piedmont : in Casale Monferrato Fr. Mario Defechi, 89 years old, and in Tortona Fr. Giacomo Buscaglia, 82.


It is the diocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno that has to count the first priest of the South who died from the contagion. It is the parish priest of Caggiano Fr. Alessandro Brignone, 45 years old, died in the night between 18 and 19 March at the Polla hospital.

In Lecco, Father Remo Rota, a 77-year-old sacrament missionary, died. Mourning also among the Xaverians of Parma: the coronavirus took away Father Nicola Masi.

The Pope made a special phone call to the bishop of Bergamo which suffered the greatest loss of priests and religious.

The Bishop said, in particular, he (the Pope) asked me to bring his closeness to the sick and to all those who in different ways are doing heroically for the good of others: doctors, nurses, civil and health authorities, law enforcement.  Pope Francis promised that he brings us into his heart and in his daily prayers.


The priests who died in these days have been buried without funeral rites, like all the other victims of the virus. Please Pray for the souls of these priests and all victims of COVID-19.

Edited from Source: https://www.avvenire.it/attualita/Pagine/coronavirus-i-preti-morti-emilia-lombardia