Giovanni Stamati

Stamati was born in Plataci, an Arbëreshë community in the Province of Cosenza. He pursued his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical Greek College of Saint Athanasius in Rome. He was ordained a priest on 14 May 1935.^[1]

On 25 March 1967, Pope Paul VI appointed him Apostolic Administrator sede plena of the Eparchy of Lungro and Titular Bishop of Antiphrae.^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on 29 June 1967 from Bishop Giovanni Mele. Following the death of the first Eparch, Giovanni Mele, Stamati was officially appointed Eparch of Lungro on 20 February 1979.^[3]

During his tenure, Stamati was a staunch advocate for the preservation of the Byzantine Rite and the Arbëresh language within the liturgy. He was instrumental in the cultural revival of the Italo-Albanian identity and contributed numerous articles to scholarly journals regarding the history and canon law of the Eastern Catholic Churches.^[2]

He died in Lungro on 7 June 1987, just two days before his 75th birthday.^[1]

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