The Dignitatis Humanae Institute is delighted to announce that the historic Abbey of Trisulti has been formally handed over to the DHI, the final legal papers having been signed on 29 January 2019.
This completes the long procedure that started with the signing of the 19-year lease last February.
This successful conclusion also sadly heralds the end of H.E. Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino’s long service as DHI Honorary President.
His Eminence served an unprecedented 16 years as apostolic nuncio to the United Nations, after which he was called by John Paul II to Rome as the President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, where he oversaw the publication of the Church’s Compendium on Catholic Social Teaching.
Cardinal Martino’s life’s work promoting Catholic social teaching, with a special emphasis on defending life and the family in the international arena, will continue to be at the heart of the DHI’s mission through the various activities that will be developed at the Abbey of Trisulti.
H.E. Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who has served as President of the DHI’s Board of Advisors since 2013, has kindly agreed to take over as the DHI’s Honorary President.
Benjamin Harnwell, President of the DHI’s Board of Trustees, said:
“On behalf of everybody at the DHI, I wish His Eminence Cardinal Martino a very well deserved, peaceful and long-overdue retirement. Appointed DHI Honorary President in July 2010, Cardinal Martino has been intimating his desire to retire for over a year. I am therefore especially grateful for his extremely and typically generous commitment to stay in office until the formal handover of Trisulti was completed. Over the last eight and half years, His Eminence has most skilfully helped to guide the DHI through several periods of major expansion, for which we will be forever grateful. It is impossible to imagine that the DHI would be where it is today without having had at its disposal the great wisdom, courage and paternal support of il Cardinale.”
“At the same time, I am particularly looking forward to working even more closely with H.E. Cardinal Burke and building, in the years ahead, on all that Cardinal Martino has achieved as our Honorary President.”
The first major education and formation project that the DHI will be launching is the Academy for the Judaeo-Christian West, an initiative defending the Judaeo-Christian foundations of Western Civilisation based on the recognition that every single person without exception is made in the image and likeness of God. The defence of the Judaeo-Christian West over recent years has been significantly advanced by Stephen K. Bannon, whom the DHI is deeply honoured to welcome to its Board of Trustees.
Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino’s touching resignation letter can be read here.
UPDATE TO THIS STORY
Cardinal Burke resigned as DHI Honorary President on 25 June 2019.
