Pope names Michele Di Tolve Bishop of Chioggia

In brief

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Michele Di Tolve as the bishop of Chioggia, Italy. The announcement was made on September 16, 2026, by Cardinal Baldo Reina at the Lateran Palace.

Di Tolve previously served as the auxiliary bishop of Rome and the titular bishop of Orrea. In his role in Rome, he acted as an episcopal vicar and coordinator for deacons, priests, religious life, and the ordo virginum. He also served as the interim director of the Office for the Clergy and as the rector of the Pontificio Seminario Romano Maggiore.

Born in Milan on May 19, 1963, Di Tolve was ordained a priest on June 10, 1989. His previous ministry includes serving as a parochial vicar in Novate Milanese and Cassina De’ Pecchi, managing Catholic religious teaching and school pastoral services in Milan, and serving as the rector of the Archbishop's Seminary of Milan from 2014 to 2020. He also served as a parish priest for the parishes of San Giovanni Battista in Rho and Sant’Ambrogio ad Nemus in Passirana di Rho starting in 2020.