Reminder to God of Bishop Barsi (Monaco)
Biography of Bishop Bernard Barsi (1942 +2022)
Mgr Bernard Barsi was born in Nice on August 4, 1942. He was baptized on August 9 in the Saint-Étienne church in Nice.
Ordained a priest for the diocese of Nice on June 28, 1969 by Bishop Jean Mouisset, he exercised various ministries, first as vicar at Saint-Etienne de Tinée, then as head of the vocations service. He was pastor of La Trinité, Drap and Cantaron from 1982 to 1991, where Mgr François Saint-Macary appointed him vicar general. He served as diocesan administrator when the latter was appointed Archbishop of Rennes in 1997.
In 1998, he returned to his position as vicar general to the new bishop of Nice, Mgr Jean Bonfils.
On May 16, 2000, he was appointed Archbishop of Monaco by Pope Saint John Paul II. He received episcopal consecration on the following October 8 from the hands of Mgr Jean Bonfils, bishop of Nice, assisted by Mgr François Saint-Macary, archbishop of Rennes and Mgr Joseph Marie Sardou, his predecessor, who had reached the age limit. In 2005, he celebrated the funeral of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and, on July 2, 2011, the wedding of HSH Prince Albert II and Miss Charlène Wittstock. On May 10, 2015, he baptized Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
After having ensured for 20 years the pastoral government of the Church of Monaco, reached by the age limit, he bids farewell to the diocese on January 27, 2020, while remaining an apostolic administrator until the episcopal consecration of his successor, Bishop Dominique-Marie David, March 8, 2020.
On Corpus Christi, June 19, 2019, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination, Bishop Bernard Barsi declared: “Fifty years after my ordination, looking back on the path I have traveled, I express my joy at having been called, chosen and sent by the Lord. May God grant me to pursue my ministry with passion and love. Launched forward, I hope one day to be able to seize this Christ Jesus who seized me 50 years ago.
Victim of a cardiac arrest on Christmas Eve, after having asked for mass for the prisoners of Nice prison, the Archbishop emeritus of Monaco joined the house of the Father on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
Bishop Bernard Barsi was Commander of the Order of Saint-Charles, Officer of the Order of Grimaldi, Knight of the Legion of Honor, Commander with plaque in the Order of Merit of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Knight Commander of the Sacred and Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. He was also Conventual Grand Cross Chaplain. ad honorem of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta.