Sanctus Basileus Athonus I

Athonus I
Sanctus Basileus of the Holy Athonite State and Athonite Catholic Church
Reign	18 April 2008
Coronation	26 April 2008
Predecessor	Sanctus Basileus Pithonius XVI
Orders
Ordination	27 June 1975 by Angelo Philargos
Consecration	28 February 1998 by Roncalli Maneius
Created cardinal	22 March 2001 by Pithonius XVI
Diocese	Athos
Personal details
Born	Giuliano Rovere Battista (1951-04-13) 13 April 1951 Athos, Holy Athonite State
Father	Giuliano Rovere Battista Sr.
Mother	Theodora Alanis
Denomination	Athonite Catholic
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Argos (1998–2000) Titular Bishop of Athlonia (1998–2000) Archbishop of Argos (2000–2001) Cardinal-Bishop of Aeta (2001–2008)

Sanctus Basileus Athonus I, born Giuliano Rovere Battista (13 April 1951) is the head of the Athonite Catholic Church and sovereign of the Holy Athonite State. He is currently the youngest person to be Sanctus Basileus and the youngest person at the time of their election. Giuliano Rovere Battista was one of eight children born to a family of religious leaders. He was ordained to the priesthood on 27 June 1975 by Angelo Philargos and served in a number of posts. In a consistory on 22 March 2001 Pithonius XVI made Battista a cardinal as the Cardinal-Bishop of Aeta.

Battista was elected pope on 18 April 2008 at age 57 after 15 ballots, the most in modern times for a basilei conclave. Succeeding Pithonius XVI, he fulfilled one of the instructions he left behind by calling the historic Third Athonite Council (2008–2012), implementing its numerous reforms and improving relations with other faiths.

Athonus I maintains the traditional views of the Church regarding abortion, marriage and ordination of women but he is one of the few Sanctus Basileis to support changing the rules on clerical celibacy. Sanctus Basileus Athonus I revived a number of traditions, such as reintroducing the regnal number "I", designating himself "the First", and reintroduced traditional garments.

Early life

Battista as a young priest, 1978

Giuliano Rovere Battista was born on 13 April 1951 in Athos. He was the youngest of eight children of Giuliano Rovere Battista Sr. (1917–1982), a former priest, and Theodora Alanis (1927–1981). He was baptized two days after his birth. Battista was taught strictly by his father and at the age of six, announced that he wanted to become a priest like his father.

Battista entered Saint Athanasius Minor Seminary in Athos in May 1962 and later went on to attend the major seminary. He was ordained on 27 June 1975 by Bishop Angelo Philargos. Battista was taken to Saint Athondatius Cathedral Basilica to meet Sanctus Basileus Allixtus I.

Church career

Battista was named Auxiliary Bishop of Argos in 1998 and ordained on 27 June 1975 as Titular Bishop of Athlonia.

Archbishop of Argos (2000-2001)

In 2000, Battista was appointed Archbishop of Argos. In the consistory of March 2001, he was named Cardinal-Bishop of Aeta by Sanctus Basileus Pithonius XVI. By the time of the 2008 Conclave, he was one of the only remaining cardinals appointed by Pithonius XVI, and the youngest cardinal.

Cardinalate (2001–2008)

In the consistory of March 2001, Archbishop Battista was created a cardinal by Sanctus Basileus Pithonius XVI with the title of Cardinal-Bishop of Aeta. As cardinal, Battista was appointed to five administrative positions in the Roman Curia. He was a member of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Commission for Assistance, Council for the Catholic Health Group, and the Commission for Athos.

Battista visted with Pithonius XVI numerous times and became a close friend and adviser of him. After Sanctus Basileus Pithonius XVI died on 2 March 2008, Battista attended his funeral and was considered one of the few for succession. Cardinal Borgolio, the Dicasteriat of State had however worked very hard to earn the support of his fellow cardinals and was in close contention with Battista during the election, Borgolio refused to give up until the 14th ballot when he requested that the Cardinals not vote from him to prevent the conclave from delaying too much in the election.

Basilei: 2008 - present)

Sanctus Basileus Pithonius XVI died on 2 March 2008, ending a reign of fifteen years. Battista watched the live funeral. Battista left the funeral well aware that he was the likely successor. Battista identified with the right and was seen as a traditionalist. Battista was elected the 266th basilei on the fifteenth ballot of the papal conclave at the age of 57, becoming the youngest person to be Sanctus Basileus at the time of their election.

Before his first appearance on the balcony of Saint Athondatius Cathedral Basilica, his election was announced and received an overwhelming amount cheers from the crowd, before continuing with the traditional announcement in Athonite.

At the balcony, Athonus I's first words to the crowd, given in Athonite before he gave the traditional blessing, were:

Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help, let us move forward. The Lord will help us, and Mary, His Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you.

On 18 April, he celebrated the Inauguration Mass, during which he was invested with the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman. On 7 May, he took possession of his cathedral church, the Archbasilica of Aeta.

Choice of name

Battista chose the baslieifical name Athonus I, in honor of Saint Athondatius, the first Sanctus Basileus. This is the first time that a Sanctus Basileus has been named Athonus On the day of his election, the Church clarified that his official papal name was "Athonus I", as he was reinstating the tradition of the Sanctus Basileus having a name not used by anyone being deemed "the First". It is the first time since Pope Aetian's reign that a serving Sanctus Basileus holds a name not used by a predecessor.

=Curia

On 16 May 2008, asked all those in senior positions of the Athonite Curia to continue in office. He named his personal secretary and declared the bonuses be paid to basilei employees upon the election of a new sanctus basileus. He also established an annual bonus to be paid to the cardinals.

On 13 April 2013, he named eight cardinals to a new Council of Cardinal Advisers to advise him on revising the organizational structure of the Roman Curia. The group included several known as critics of Vatican operations and only one member of the Curia.[167] They are Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Vatican City State governorate; Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa from Chile; Oswald Gracias from India; Reinhard Marx from Germany; Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; George Pell from Australia; Seán O'Malley from the United States; and Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras. He appointed Bishop Marcello Semeraro secretary for the group and scheduled its first meeting for 1–3 October