Giovanni Jacono

Giovanni Jacono (14 March 1873 – 25 May 1957) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Caltanissetta from 1921 until he resigned due to age in 1956. Jacono also served prior to this as the Bishop of Molfetta after World War I and had worked in a trade before entering the priesthood. He was noted for his kindness and for his humble disposition; his holiness was evident to his flock during his episcopal tenure.

It became clear over time that his age was preventing him from some of the duties required of him. To that end Pope Pius XII – in 1953 – named Francesco Monaco as Jacono's coadjutor bishop with the right of succession upon Jacono's death or resignation. It proved to be the latter for Jacono resigned in 1956 and returned to Ragusa. But Pius XII also elevated him "ad personam" to the rank of archbishop and named Jacono as the Titular Archbishop of Mocissus (a ceremonial position).

Jacono died in Ragusa in mid-1957 and left no last will; there was but one thing found on his desk: an envelope with 15 000 lira enclosed. There was written on the envelope: "For the poor of Saint Vincent". His remains were interred in the Ragusa Cathedral.

Beatification process The beatification process opened under Pope Benedict XVI on 24 October 2007 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints titled Jacono as a Servant of God and declared nihil obstat (no objections) to the cause. On the same date came a decree that transferred the forum for the cause from Ragusa (where Jacono died) to Caltanissetta (where Jacono served as its bishop). The diocesan process was inaugurated on 13 January 2008 and closed on 27 September 2012 before documentation from the investigation was sent to the C.C.S. who validated the process in Rome on 11 April 2014.

The postulation later compiled and submitted the Positio dossier to the C.C.S. for evaluation in 2017 and the theologians met and approved the dossier on 19 April 2018. Pope Francis titled Jacono as Venerable on 7 November 2018 after confirming that the late prelate had lived a life of heroic virtue.

The current postulator for this cause is the Discalced Carmelite priest Romano Gambalunga.