The Institutum Carmelitanum, in conjunction with the General Archives and the General Postulation office of the Carmelite Order, is holding a daylong conference in Rome to study the life of Angelo Paoli. The conference will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2022 in the parish hall at Santa Maria in Traspontina. The hall is located at Borgo Sant’Angelo 13/C, behind the church which is located on the Via Conciliazione in Rome. The scope of the conference is to present new aspects of Blessed Angelo Paoli which are emerging from recent archival research and have so far been little addressed. There is, in fact, a Paoli “behind the scenes” that needs to be rediscovered and made known.
The conference begins at 9:30 and ends at 18:00 with a two-hour break for lunch. Speakers include Carmelite General Archivist, Mario Alfarano; Simona Durante, of the Institutum Carmelitanum; Simona Serci, of the Carmelite General Archives; Marco Papasidero of the Università degli Studi di Torino; Ruggiero Doronzo of the Università degli Studi di Bari; Matteo Antollini from CISA; Giovanni Grosso, of the Institutum Carmelitanum; Maria Conforti of the Università La Sapienza di Roma; and Emanuele Atzori of the Archivio storico at Maestre Pie Venerini di Roma. The conclusions to the day will be given by Giovanna Brizi, postulator general of the Carmelites.
Angelo Paoli spent the first part of his religious life in the Province of Tuscany. He later moved to Rome and resided at San Martino ai Monti. His religious observance was admired for its silence, prayer, and mortification. He was especially noted for his charity to the sick and the poor. He became known as "Father Charity."
In Rome he established a hospice for the convalescent poor. His motto was: "Whoever loves God must go to find Him among the poor." He taught the poor to be grateful and to find in their concrete circumstances incentives for moral perfection. He also knew how to inspire many persons to imitate him in helping the needy. The wealthy found a generous counselor in Blessed Angelo. They often made him the intermediary of their charity. He was the counselor and guest of princes and of other important people of Rome. Cardinals and high prelates held him in high esteem.
