Francesco Follo (born 22 October 1946) is an Italian priest of the Catholic Church who has worked in the diplomatic service of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

as its Permanent Observer to UNESCO from 2002 to 2021. He spent the previous twenty years in the offices of the Vatican Secretariat of State and before that worked as a journalist and performed pastoral work.

Biography

Francesco Follo was born on 22 October 1946 in

Pandino Pandino ( Cremasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about east of Milan and about northwest of Cremona. Pandino borders the following municipalities: Agnadello, Dovera, Monte Cr ...

, in the Cremona Province. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cremona on 28 June 1970. He was vicar of San Marco Evangelista in

Casirate d'Adda Casirate d'Adda (locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about east of Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, ...

from 1970 to 1976. He obtained a master's degree in theology from the in 1976, a Master's degree in philosophy at the Aloisianum of Gallarate in 1979 and a doctorate in philosophy at the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in 1984. From 1976 to 1984, he worked as a reporter for the magazine ''Letture'' published by the San Fedele Center of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

in Milan. He was also from 1976 to 1983 a spiritual advisor to students of the Polytechnic Institute, the Academy of Fine Arts Brera and the Conservatory of Music "Giuseppe Verdi" in Milan. He became a member of the Order of Journalists in 1978. In 1982 he held the post of deputy director of the weekly ''La Vita Cattolica''. From 1978 to 1983, he was Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Philosophy at the

Catholic University of Milan The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and at the Higher Institute of Education Assistants in Milan. He joined the staff of the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See on 17 September 1983. From 1988 to 1989, he also taught history of Greek philosophy at the

Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (Finding the Truth with Love) , mottoeng = , established = 15 September 1993( years ago) , closed = , type = Private, Catholic, Legionaries of Christ, Pontifical University , endowment = , rector = Rev. José E. Oyarzún, LC , faculty = ...

in Rome. On 27 May 2000,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

awarded him the title Prelate of Honor of His Holiness. On 11 May 2002, he was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

, based in Paris. He was replaced in that position by

Eric Soviguidi Eric Soviguidi (born 21 March 1971) is a Beninese prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Eric Soviguidi was born on 21 March 1971 in Abomey, Benin. He was ordained a priest for the Archdioce ...

on 11 November 2021. Since 2004, he has also been a member of the Scientific Committee of ''Oasis'', a magazine specializing in intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Follo, Francesco 1946 births Living people Clergy from the Province of Cremona 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Permanent Observers of the Holy See to the United Nations 21st-century Italian Roman Catholic priests