Background
Antonio Bello was born in Leece on 18 March 1935 as the son of a policeman and a housewife.
Antonio Bello was born in Leece on 18 March 1935 as the son of a policeman and a housewife.
He lost his father and brothers as a child and was educated in Ugento where he started his studies to become a priest.
He died of cancer in 1993. His cause of sainthood has commenced – it started in 2007 – and he is referred to as a Servant of God. Bello was ordained to the priesthood on 8 December 1957 – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – and was appointed as a prefect of the minor seminaries.
He held that post for under two decades.
He was made a parish priest in Tricase and remained there until his nomination as a bishop. In 1982 Pope John Paul II appointed him as the Bishop of Ruvo.
He received episcopal consecration on 30 October 1982 and he took the name of "Tonino" after his consecration. He was chosen as the President of Pax Christi in 1985.
He was an outspoken critic of the Gulf War.
After the unification his diocese he was retained as its bishop on 30 September 1986. He died of cancer on 20 April 1993. The beatification process commenced in Molfetta on 27 November 2007 which conferred upon him the title of Servant of God.
The local process spanned from 30 April 2010 to 30 November 2013.