For the first time in its more than 170-year history, Civiltà Cattolica, the Jesuit journal whose drafts are approved by the Vatican Secretariat of State, will have a non-Italian director. Starting from October 1, Father Nuno da Silva Gonçalves, a Portuguese Jesuit and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, will succeed Father Antonio Spadaro. Father Spadaro, who had been leading the international Jesuit journal since 2011 and was a member of the College of Writers for 25 years, has been appointed Undersecretary for Culture and Education at the Vatican, a position he will assume on January 1, 2024.
This marks the end of an era for Civiltà Cattolica, which, under Father Spadaro’s leadership, internationalized its College of Writers and conducted the first-ever interview with the first Jesuit Pope in history.
Father Gonçalves expressed his gratitude to the subscribers and readers, emphasizing their importance to the journal’s daily work, and he hopes to strengthen the ties and mutual understanding within this community.
Former rector of the Gregorian University, Father Gonçalves joined the College of Writers of Civiltà Cattolica in January. He proudly stated that, “With our identity and history, we aim to be a journal capable of addressing everyone. In a divided, wounded world in need of healing, peace, and reconciliation, Civiltà Cattolica offers a message of hope to all, engaging in a Christian interpretation of today’s world and looking to the future. We do this, as always, in faithful and creative harmony with the positions of the Roman Pontiff and the Holy See.”
Leadership Changes at the Vatican
Father Spadaro bid farewell to readers in the journal’s issue 4158, describing the key milestones of his work. During his twelve-year tenure, he celebrated two significant anniversaries: the publication of the journal’s 4,000th issue and its 170th anniversary. Today, Civiltà Cattolica is distributed in nine languages and has a digital edition.
As Undersecretary, Father Spadaro is expected to oversee the culture section of the Vatican’s Culture and Education Dicastery, while the education section will fall under the purview of Professor Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi, who was appointed Undersecretary of the dicastery in November 2022. In September 2022, Monsignor Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi was appointed Secretary of the dicastery, led by Portuguese Cardinal Tolentino Mendonça.
Father Gonçalves: A Distinguished Career
Father Gonçalves was born in Lisbon in 1958 and entered the Society of Jesus in 1975, becoming a priest in 1986.
From 1994 to 2000, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Brotéria, the cultural journal of the Portuguese Jesuits, and from 1998 to 1999, he served as Director of the National Office for Cultural Heritage of the Church of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference.
In October 2000, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Portugal, a position he held until June 2005. From July 2005 to July 2011, he served as Provincial Superior of the Portuguese Province of the Society of Jesus.
In October 2011, he was sent to Rome to join the faculty of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Faculty of Church History and Cultural Heritage. On March 6, 2012, he was appointed Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Church, and on October 24, 2012, he was appointed Dean of the same Faculty of Church History and Cultural Heritage, serving in these roles until August 31, 2016.
From September 1, 2016, to August 31, 2022, he served as Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University. He will now lead the Jesuit journal with a unique history. Founded in 1850 at the behest of Pope Pius IX, it is produced by a “College of Writers” living in a community in Rome. It is published on the first and third Saturday of each month.
Editorial Process at Civiltà Cattolica
When the drafts of the new issue are ready, they are sent to the Vatican in several copies: one for the Pope, one for the Secretary of State, and the others for the relevant Curial offices responsible for various articles.
On the Monday before publication, the director of Civiltà Cattolica goes to the Secretariat of State. He may receive three levels of indications: those of grade A, which are explicit orders regarding modifications or deletions of certain articles; those of grade B are discussed during the same audience and concern changes to be made to the articles; and those of grade C are left to the director’s judgment.
