Born in Malgrate (Lecco) in 1941.
He was ordained a priest in 1970.
Doctor of Philosophy (Catholic University, Milan) and in Theology (Fribourg, Switzerland).
Since 1982 he has taught Theological Anthropology at the Pontifical Institute John Paul II for Studies on marriage and the family of the Pontifical Lateran University.
From 1986 to 1991 he was a consultant of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In 1987 he was an expert at the VII Ordinary Assembly of the Bishops’ Conference on the “Vocation and mission of the laity”. From 1991 to 1996 he was a consultant of the Pontifical Council for Health Workers. Since 1996 he has been a Member of the same Pontifical Council;since 1994 he has been a Member of the Congregation for the Clergy. Since June 1995 he has been a Member of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education, Culture, School and University of the Italian Episcopal Conference. Since 1996 he was nominated consultant of the Pontifical Council for the Family.
He was nominated Bishop of Grosseto on the 20th July, 1991, and ordained on the 21st September the same year.
His episcopal motto is «Sufficit gratia tua» (cfr. 2 Cor 12, 9), “Your grace is enough”.
He exercised his minstry at Grosseto until 14th September 1995.
On the 24th July 1995, the Holy Father nominated him Magnificent Rector of the Pontifical Council of the Lateran University in Rome, and on the 29th September of the same year, Dean of the Pontifical Institute John Paul II for Studies on marriage and the family.
Since June 1995 Msgr. Scola has been a Member of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education, School and University of the Italian Episcopal Conference and since January 1996 is President of the Committee for Institutes of Religious Studies. In this capacity he is interested in issues concerning the theological training of the laity in Italy.From 1996 to 2001 he was a Member of the Pontifical Council for Health Workers. He has written several volumes on themes linked to “If you want, you can heal me”, Health between hope and utopia, Good health.
His second period in Rome enabled him to concentrate on more academic writings. In particular he published two volumes on Theological Anthropology – Questions of Theological Anthropology. Second edition, enlarged, and The Human Person. Manual of Theological Anthropology – and the monograph, in two volumes, dedicated to human sexuality and to questions linked to marriage and the family: The Nuptial Mystery, vol. 1 Man-Woman; Vol.2 Marriage-Family. Apart from these books, translated into several languages, Msgr Scola’s bibliography amounts to about 120 contributions in collected works and international theological and philosophical periodicals.
On the 5th January 2002, the Holy Father nominated him Patriarch of Venice. He officially entered the diocese on 3rd March 2002.
On the 9th April 2002, he was elected President of the Bishops’ Conference of the Three Veneto Regions (Veneto, Friuli, Trentino).
On the 28th September 2003 he was designated by the Holy Father Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and confirmed during the public Concistory of the 21st October 2003.
After being nominated Cardinal, on the 10th November 2003 he was re-confirmed a Member of the Steering Committee of the Pontifical Council for the Family and Member of the Congregation for the Clergy.
On the 14th October 2004 he was nominated of the Steering Committee of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
On the 9th January 2005, he was made a Member of the Congregation for Divine Office and the Discipline of the Sacraments. On the 6th March 2005 he was nominated Member of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See, while on the 18th March 2005 the Holy Father nominated him General Spaker for the XI ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2005 on the theme: The Eucharist: source and culmination of life and the mission of the Church.
Among his writings over the last few years, the following titles deserve mention: Jesus the destiny of ma; Man-Woman: the serious case for love (which received the Capri Prize in 2003); the nearness of the mystery; Elementary experience. The deep vein of the magisterium of John Paul II; Truly free; The missionary face of the parish; A generative thought; Joy and haste; Against boredom; Death and Freedom; the Eucharist: meeting of freedoms; Who is the Church? An Anthropological and sacramental key to ecclesiology.
