Massimiliano Palinuro

Massimiliano Palinuro (born 10 June 1974) is an Italian-born Turkish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul since 2021. He is also Apostolic Administrator of the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul. He was appointed by Pope Francis on 14 September 2021 and consecrated a bishop on 7 December 2021.

Early life and education Palinuro was born in Ariano Irpino, in the Province of Avellino, Italy, on 10 June 1974.

He was ordained a deacon in 1998 and subsequently sent to Rome to study at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, where he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Scripture. He served as parish priest in Trabzon and became involved in pastoral and biblical work in the Turkish Catholic community. In 2019 he collaborated on the revision of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in Turkish.

Episcopate On 14 September 2021, Pope Francis appointed Palinuro Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul and Apostolic Administrator of the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul. At the time of his appointment he was serving as a fidei donum priest of the Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia and parish priest in Trabzon.

His episcopal ordination took place on 7 December 2021 in the Cathedral Basilica of Ariano Irpino. Leonardo Sandri, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, was the principal consecrator, with Sergio Melillo, Bishop of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia, and Paolo Bizzeti, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, serving as principal co-consecrators. He was installed as Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul on 18 December 2021.

The episcopal ordination was attended by numerous Catholic bishops and representatives of other Christian communities. In his homily and subsequent remarks, Palinuro described his new assignment as a demanding missionary mission and expressed gratitude to his family and to the Church for entrusting him with the office.