(ANS – Vatican City) – The Holy See Press Office announced today, 14 February 2023, that the Holy Father Francis has appointed Fr. Mauro Mantovani, SDB, hitherto Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome and former Rector Magnificus at UPS, as Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library.
Mauro Mantovani was born on 3 January 1966 in Moncalieri (Italy), carried out his novitiate at the Salesian house “Monteoliveto” in Pinerolo and made his first vows in the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco on 8 September 1986; he professed his perpetual vows in Castelnuovo Don Bosco on 27 September 1992 and was ordained a priest on 12 September 1994 in Turin.
He completed studies in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Degree in Philosophy, 1995); at the Salesian Pontifical University, Baccalaureate and Licentiate in Philosophy; Baccalaureate in Theology at the Turin section, and Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology; at the “Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca,” in Spain, a Doctorate in Philosophy and Letters, 2006; and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas – “Angelicum” in Rome, a Doctorate in Thomistic Theology, 2011.
Since 2007, he has been a Full Professor at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome, with research and publications concerning philosophical theology, philosophy of history, philosophical propaedeutics, and various border/crossover topics between theology, philosophy, and science. He is especially concerned with Thomism and the commentarial tradition on the Summa Theologiae (especially q. 2 of Pars I) of Thomas Aquinas in the authors of the “Second Scholasticism” and the so-called “School of Salamanca.”
For UPS Rome he has held the following positions: Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy; Dean of the Faculty of Social Communications; Vice-Rector; Rector Magnificus for two terms (2015-2018 – 2018-2021).
In 2016 he was appointed President of the Conference of Rectors of the Roman Pontifical Universities (CRUPR) and is currently a Member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas and of the Scientific Committee of the Holy See Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality on Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO).
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”