On 1 July 1972, Oliveri entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, first as secretary of the apostolic nunciature in Dakar, Senegal, and later at the Secretariat of State in Rome as secretary to Cardinal Giovanni Benelli. From 1978 to 1985, he served in the apostolic nunciature in London and Paris before being recalled to the apostolic nunciature in Rome.[1]
On 6 October 1990, Oliveri was appointed the Bishop of Albenga-Imperia by Pope John Paul II; he succeeded Alessandro Piazza, who resigned due to his age. He was consecrated a bishop on 4 November of that year in a parish church of Campo Ligure by principal consecrator Giovanni Cardinal Canestri and co-consecrators Archbishop Luigi Poggi and Bishop Giuseppe Dell'Omo. He took the Latin motto "Fides et Pax," which translates to "Faith and Peace." On 25 November, he was installed in his diocese.[citation needed]
After a long series of scandals involving several priests of his diocese, Pope Francis instructed Apostolic Nuncio to Italy Adriano Bernardini to open an investigation of the state of the diocese. Following the investigation, the Pope decided to appoint Guglielmo Borghetti as coadjutor bishop of the diocese in January 2015, vesting him with full authority.[2]
The Holy See objected to lack of discernment in the ordination of priests and the willingness to accommodate expelled seminarians from other dioceses previously involved in scandals or considered unfit for the priesthood.[3] Many of the priests came under media attention, including during their time in the Diocese of Albenga, for sexual scandals (such as possession of pornographic material),[4] for a lifestyle considered improper for a priest (such as the publication of nude photographs on social media),[5] and being the subject of judicial investigation for pedophilia,[6] embezzlement,[7] homicide,[6] harassment,[8] and property crimes.[6]
With full episcopal and administrative authority resting in the new coadjutor as of 25 March 2015, Oliveri retained the title of Bishop of Albenga-Imperia without any power.[2] On 1 September 2016, Pope Francis accepted his resignation from pastoral governance of the diocese. Effective upon resignation, Oliveri took the title of Bishop Emeritus of Albenga-Imperia.
