Joseph Salvador Marino[a] (born January 23, 1953) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who worked in the Vatican diplomatic service from 1988 to 2019 and then served as president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy until 2023. He became an archbishop in 2008 and represented the Holy See in Malaysia, East Timor, and Brunei for six years.


Joseph Salvador Marino
President Emeritus of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
ChurchCatholic Church
AppointedOctober 11, 2019
RetiredJanuary 23, 2023
PredecessorGiampiero Gloder
SuccessorSalvatore Pennacchio
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Natchitoches
Orders
OrdinationAugust 25, 1979
by Bishop William Russell Houck
ConsecrationMarch 29, 2008
by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
Personal details
Born (1953-01-23) January 23, 1953 (age 71)
Previous post(s)
Styles of
Joseph Salvador Marino
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop

Biography edit

Early years edit

Joseph Marino was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 23, 1953,[1] one of three sons of Salvador Marino, an electrical engineer, and Josephine Marino. He grew up in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham and graduated from John Carroll High School in Birmingham in 1971.[2] Marino earned degrees in philosophy and psychology from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Priesthood edit

Marino was ordained a priest by Bishop William Houck on August 25, 1979, for the Diocese of Birmingham.[1] Marino received degrees in theology and biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University while living at the Pontifical North American College from 1975 to 1980.[3] Marino returned to Birmingham for four years of pastoral work as associate pastor at St. Paul's Cathedral Parish.[2] In 1984 he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to prepare for a career in the diplomatic service while obtaining a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Gregorian.[3]

Diplomatic service edit

Marino joined the diplomatic service on July 15, 1988.[1] His early assignments included stints in the Philippines from 1988 to 1991, Uruguay from 1991 to 1994, and Nigeria from 1994 to 1997. From 1997 to 2004, Marino worked at the Secretariat of State in Rome, where he had responsibility for the Balkans countries. He participated as senior staff-member in two diplomatic missions: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran's visit to Belgrade, Serbia, on April 1, 1999, that sought a resolution to the Kosovo War; and the meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Cardinal Pio Laghi in which Laghi unsuccessfully tried to dissuade Bush from invading Iraq in 2003.[3]

Marino was working in the apostolic nunciature to the United Kingdom when, on January 12, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named him a titular archbishop and apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh.[1] He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Tauran on March 29, 2008, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham.[4]

On January 16, 2013, Pope Benedict appointed Marino as apostolic nuncio to Malaysia, apostolic nuncio to East Timor, and apostolic delegate to Brunei.[5] He negotiated the 2015 accord between the Holy See and East Timor.[6]

Pope Francis named Marino president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy on October 11, 2019.[7] He is the second American to lead the school.[6]

Pope Francis appointed Marino a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization on November 17, 2020.[8]

On January 23, 2023, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.[9]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The Press Office of the Holy See, which customarily opts for more formal over less formal names, refers to him as Joseph Marino, as do press accounts of his activities. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran called him Joseph Marino when consecrating him a bishop.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Rinunce e Nomine, 12.01.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. January 12, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Garrison, Greg (January 16, 2013). "Pope appoints Birmingham native Archbishop Joseph Marino to Malaysia". www.al.com. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c O'Connell, Gerard (January 18, 2013). "Pope appoints American as first Nuncio to Malaysia". La Stampa. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Tauran, Jean-Louis (March 29, 2008). "Homily of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran-Marino At The Ordination Of Archbishop Joseph S. Marino, Cathedral of Saint Paul, March 29, 2008" (PDF). Diocese of Birmingham. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 16.01.2013" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  6. ^ a b O'Connell, Gerard (October 11, 2019). "Pope Francis appoints U.S. archbishop to head Vatican's school for diplomats". America. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  7. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 11.10.2019" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  8. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 17.11.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. November 17, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 23.01.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.

External links edit

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia
16 January 2013 – 11 October 2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh
12 January 2008 – 16 January 2013
Succeeded by
Educational offices
Preceded by President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
2019–2023
Succeeded by