Salvatore Martinez
Salvatore Martinez is an Italian academic and Catholic lay leader. From 1997 to 2023, he led the Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo, Italy's largest charismatic organization. He served as president of the Vatican’s International Center “Family of Nazareth” foundation and was appointed personal representative on combating racism, xenophobia, and discrimination by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office in 2018. He also works on combatting intolerance and religious discrimination against Christians and members of other faiths.
Biography
Salvatore was born on 4 May 1966 and raised in Enna, Sicily. He is married to Luciana Leone.He graduated from University of Pavia with honors in paleography and musical philology, with a thesis on the history of the pontiffs of the first millennium in the light of the liturgical innovations contained in Liber Pontificalis.
Martinez is the author of 26 books, including Paolo VI. Umanità e spiritualità, a monograph commemorating Pope Paul VI’s canonization. Sospinti dallo Spirito, published by Edizioni San Paolo, was translated into Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French in May 2014.
He has lectured, taught courses, and consulted for Pontifical and Catholic Universities in Rome and several other countries, and for Institutions and Institutes of Formation in Italy and abroad.
In 2018–2019, he conducted a course of specialization in dogmatic theology on the "Theology of the Holy Spirit".
He writes in Italian and foreign magazines on themes of spirituality and on subjects of the social doctrine of the Church.
He has organized or collaborated in the organization of international events run by groups including the Vatican Dicasteries, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Ecumenical and Interreligious Organizations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations in Italy, Europe and the Americas.
Positions and main activities
''Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo (RnS)''
Since 1997, Martinez has served as the first layperson to preside over Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo, a private association of the faithful recognized by the Italian Bishops’ Conference and the Holy See. The movement comprises approximately 1,900 Italian groups and communities with over 250,000 participants, and maintains nine overseas missions, including in Israel, Jordan, and Moldova and Transnistria. Its activities include formation programs, publishing, social-utility initiatives, and event organization.As President of Renewal in the Spirit of Italy, Martinez presided over major national and international gatherings, including the 37th Convocation of the Renewal at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on 1–2 June 2014. This event was attended by approximately 52,000 participants from 64 countries and addressed by Pope Francis. In July 2015, Martinez presided over Voices in Prayer for the Martyrs of Today, held in St. Peter’s Square during the 38th Convocation of the Renewal and attended by approximately 35,000 participants.
Since 2007, Martinez has led an annual national pilgrimage organized by RnS to the Holy Land. Since 2008, he has also led an annual National Pilgrimage of Families in Pompei, organized in collaboration with ecclesiastical and family organizations.
Vatican
Since 2012, Martinez has served as president of the Vatican foundation International Center Family of Nazareth, established by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2012 to promote Catholic teaching on the family and to oversee the Home of the Pope for Families in Nazareth as a centre for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue; in this role, he also participated in the World Tolerance Summit held in Dubai on 15–16 November, a conference on tolerance and cultural understanding promoted by the International Institute for Tolerance under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.Martinez was appointed consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization in April 2012 and previously served as consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family, with appointments made by Pope Benedict XVI and later renewed by Pope Francis, until the dicasteries were dissolved.
As president of CIFN, he organized and presided over international conferences at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome in 2014 and 2016, addressing the family in the Middle East and interreligious dialogue in the context of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family and the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia.
He also participated as an auditor at the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2012, which focused on the New Evangelization.
OSCE
On January 2, 2018, Martinez was appointed Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for combating racism, xenophobia, and discrimination, with special emphasis on religious intolerance. As part of the OSCE Representation, he was one of the promoters and organizers of the International Conference of Rome on the "Responsibility of States, Institutions and Individuals in the fight against Anti-Semitism in the OSCE area", scheduled within the framework of the Italian OSCE Presidency 2018, held in Rome on January 29, 2018 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Hall of International Conferences.''Alleanza del Rinnovamento nello Spirito Onlus''
Since 1997, he has been president of Fondazione "Alleanza del Rinnovamento nello Spirito Onlus", an organization recognized by the Republic of Italy and the Bishops' Conference of Italy, which operates in the field of formation of formators with the organization and the promotion of national and interregional Schools dedicated to families, to youth, to animators and operators in the social field, as well as through specific initiatives for the reduction of social discomfort of disadvantaged persons. From 2002, the Foundation has begun a mission in Chișinău, capital of the Republic of Moldova, with the creation of a missionary Center and of a Home to welcome the poor; it has also stipulated protocols of understanding with government socio-health Institutions to take care of children afflicted with mental handicap.Since 2014, in agreement with Prison Fellowship Italia onlus and RnS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Inspectorate General of the Prison Chaplains, on the occasion of Christmas the foundation promotes "L'Altra Cucina... Per un Pranzo d'Amore", a great charity event of "social justice" in favor of prisoners. In 2018, the initiative was held in 13 prisons of Italy involving over 2,500 prisoners.
Mons. Francesco Di Vincenzo
Since 2000, he has been the president of the foundation Institute of Human Promotion "Mons. Francesco Di Vincenzo", a charitable organization and Ecclesiastical for the integration of social formations which are the basis of the dignity of the human person. The Foundation has created the "Mario e Luigi Sturzo 'Polo of excellence of solidarity and human promotion'", at the Historical site of the Sturzo Brothers, a social work for the redemption of prisoners, former prisoners and their families, as well as unaccompanied immigrant children.On the occasion of the centenary of "Appello ai liberi e forti", initiatives are planned to remember and celebrate the spiritual, human, cultural and political heritage of the thought of don Luigi Sturzo. In particular, an International Conference in Caltagirone, on April 12–14, to review the relevance of the 12 explanatory points of the Appeal.
''Lab.Ora''
Since April 2016, he has been the President of the Association "Laudato si" for the national project "Lab.Ora". A thousand youth for a leadership of service". The Initiative represents a response implementing the appeal of Pope Francis to Christians present at the V National Ecclesial Convention, of Florence 2015. It is an innovative and systemic, interdisciplinary format open to international developments and collaborations, which brings together an expert and representative group of lay-people, ecclesiastics and academics who have decided to get involved in a free and generous personal testimony at the service of young people who distinguish themselves in local communities, for the creation of a new generation of leaders and for their new social and political leadership in Italy, in a special way through innovation in giving value to local resources.As part of the initiatives promoted by the Association, on December 7, 2018, in Rome, at the Parco Tirreno Residence, a Conference was held on the subject "Physiology of a crisis. A systemic response". Numerous young adults participated, who had earlier taken part in the Lab.Ora schools held in Campania; Piedmont-Valle D'Aosta-Liguria; Sicily; and Emilia Romagna- Marche. Authoritative speakers intervened with their contributions.
China mission
From September 22 to October 5, 2019, he was on mission to China, which included diplomatic meetings with local authorities, inter-religious dialogue and formation reserved for some ecclesial communities. In particular, at the invitation of the Venerable Shi Yong Xin, 30th Abbot of the Temple of Shaolin, a culture recognized in 2010 by UNESCO, as World Cultural Heritage. During the mission, at the suggestion of Bishop Sun Jigen, he coordinated the formation for priests, religious and laity in the Diocese of Handan, the main Center of study of the Christian faith for the whole of China.Observatory on Religious Minorities in the World and on Respect for Religious Freedom
Since 2017, he is President of the Observatory on Religious Minorities in the World and on Respect for Religious Freedom. An Observatory promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of International Cooperation. "The activity of the Observatory is part of the Italian foreign policy in favor of the protection and promotion of the freedom of religion, of public profession of religious belief, of the rights of those belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, in bilateral and multilateral relationships and in programs of Cooperation towards development, with particular attention to the new generations, so that they acquire awareness of the protection of human rights". "The Observatory coordinates, through MAECI, its action with the work carried out by the Italian diplomatic missions abroad on themes and projects of common interest and keeping in line with the objectives assignedAs President of the Observatory on Religious Minorities in the World and on the Respect for Religious Freedom promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of International Cooperation, he organized and presided in Rome and Assisi – an International Conference on the theme: "Dialogue among cultures and religions in the promotion of peace: 800 years of Franciscan presence in the Holy Land" in collaboration with the Custos of the Holy Land, and the participation of the high level diplomatic and religious representatives from the Middle East as well as those accredited in Italy, belonging to the three Abrahamic religious traditions.
National Prayer Breakfast
Since 2002, he coordinates the Italian Delegation which participates at the "National Prayer Breakfast" in Washington, which in 2019 is the 67th edition. The NPB is the biggest inter-religious network of leaders who recognize in Jesus, regardless of the profession of a faith or belonging to a particular religion, a "model" of leadership which places at the center universal values of the Gospel and therefore the human person, their integral dignity, ideals of peace and solidarity among the Nations. Over 150 Countries are represented every year. He was a speaker at the 63° NPB, on February 4, 2015, the only European Christian to give a speech during the session dedicated to the Middle East, together with Jewish and Muslim speakers on the theme "Family, Middle East and Pope Francis".Memberships
He is a member of the International Charismatic Consultation, an ecumenical organization which brings together the principal Christian charismatic leaders of the world.He is International Vice-president of Youth Arise International, a project of formation for evangelization for the youth, which organizes events throughout the world, in particular gatherings leading to the World Youth Day organized by the Vatican with the presence of the Pope.
He is the founding member of the committee and of the Association Scienza e Vita, a national Body with local offices throughout Italy, to which men and women of various ideals and inspirations involved in the field of bioethics are involved.
He is a historical member of the "Forum of Family Associations", a national body which brings together 48 Associations, 18 Regional Forums and 564 Associations for the promotion and safeguard of the rights of the family.
From 2011 to 2014, he was Member of the Office of Presidency of Rete in Opera, for two terms, a national Body to which 20 Associations and Movements – Catholic or of Christian inspiration – adhere to, a widespread "Work of networks" founded on the principles of social Doctrine of the Church, expression of the autonomy and of the constitutive role of civil society on issues of major public relevance.
He was part of the Delegation of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, on the invitation of the Authorities of Israel, Jordan and Palestine, on the occasion of the Pontifical journey of Pope Francis to the Holy Land.
Organizations
- International Charismatic Consultation, an ecumenical organization that brings together the principal Christian charismatic leaders in the world.
- Association "Scienza e Vita"
- Directive of the "Forum of Family Associations" which brings together 52 Associations, Bodies and Institutions linked to the promotion of the family
- Office of the presidency of "Rete in Opera" which brings together the 18 principal catholic organizations or of Christian inspiration who operate in the social field in Italy
- Foundation, Institute of human promotion "Mons. Francesco Di Vincenzo", a corporate body to work for the integration of social forms that are the foundation of human dignity, which has given birth to "Polo di eccellenza della solidarietà e della promozione umana «Mario e Luigi Sturzo»", a social work for the redemption of prisoners and their families. President 2000-
- Foundation "Casa Museo Sturzo" – President
- Foundation "Alleanza del Rinnovamento nello Spirito" – President
- Foundation Moldova "Alleanza del RnS" – President
- Youth Arise International – International vice president