Biography Prince Abbot
Archbishop of Seborga
His Beatitude Peter II, Metropolitan Archbishop of Italy, born Monsignor Gianluca de Lucia in Bordighera on 27 May 1978. He graduated in Accountancy in 1997 and continued his studies in Law at the University of Imperia. In 2013, he obtained a degree in theology, thanks to the support of the Deanery in Europe of the Polish National Catholic Church.
He has been residing in the Principality of Monaco for many years, since 2018 he has been directing the cult association, under Monegasque law, called ‘Polish National Catolich Church à Monaco’, a mission of the American Vetero-Catholic church of the same name called ‘Polish National Catholic Church’, a church in full sacramental exchange with the Roman Catholic Church by the will of Saint John Paul II. This Monegasque religious body in 2019 founded the Monastic Order of Seborga, a religious body in communion with the Orthodox Church of Italy, now the Patriarchate of Italy, and the Traditional Gallican Church of France. For this reason, the Patriarch maintains to this day the presidency of the Monegasque religious body called: ‘Polish National Catolich Church à Monaco’.
Passionate about history and theology, he was fascinated by Seborga and the ancient Principality of Sabourg, so he decided to conduct historical-legal research on the birth and evolution of Seborga and its Abbey Principality. In 2019, he published an on-line study, which can be consulted at: https://castrumsepulchri.org
On 29 September 2019, together with nine religious, he took the vows of tertiary life: obedience and moderation. Following the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by the Reverend Father Gastone Bernacchi, secretary of the Italian Deanery of the P.N.C.C. and Vice President of the Monegasque cult organisation, P.N.C.C. in Monaco, the Reverend Father, assisted by two Orthodox religious, in the spirit of ecumenical dialogue as laid down by the Apostle John, received during the religious celebration the vows of the ten tertiary monks: obedience and moderation. At the end of the ceremony, Brother Gianluca de Lucia was elected Commendatory Abbot of Sabourg, obtaining the title of His Most Reverend Highness Monsignor Giovanni Luca, Prince-Abate pro tempore of Sabourg.
The new tertiary monks established a monastic rule, de facto reconstituting the Abbey of Sabourg in order to claim every right of the ancient Abbatial Principality.
The Monastic Order of Seborga is incardinated in the Monegasque P.N.C. cult organisation in Monaco, but since its constitution it has taken on a hybrid theological form that welcomes all the world’s Christians, mainly Catholics and Orthodox .
On 1 November 2019, the Commendatory Abbot of Sabourg was privileged to receive diaconal ordination, together with two other tertiary brothers. He then received priestly ordination in order to perfect his mission.
On 28 December 2019, His Most Reverend Highness Monsignor Giovanni Luca de Lucia was consecrated and crowned Prince-Abate of Sabourg by a high Orthodox prelate who crowned him 91st Sovereign, Prince of Sabourg, as successor to the last Prince-Abate of Sabourg, His Most Reverend Highness Monsignor Fauste de Ballon .
On that date, the clerics and monks of the Abbey of Sabourg voted on the new Constitution abrogating that adopted by the constituent monks in 1261 and subsequent amendments.
On 13 November 2021, in the enchanting setting of Viglas Castle in Slovakia, His Most Reverend Highness re-consecrated the Order of the Dragon, an ancient chivalric order created by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1408. On this occasion, he consecrated the Order’s new Grand Master, His Excellency Baron Daniel von Rechitar, descendant of Elisabeth of Luxembourg, together with his knights and ladies. The Grand Master, in a sense of profound gratitude, awarded him the highest decoration and appointed him Sacristan of the Order.
The Patriarch studied Orthodoxy, in particular the canons of the First Great Councils of the Church of Christ, adopting the Orthodox confession as his choice of life, respecting the canons of the Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, Chalcedon up to the Fourth Council of Constantinople.
It should be noted that the Prince-Abate recognises the regularity of the married clergy, especially the bishops, who, compared to the Chalcedonian Churches, whether Catholic or Orthodox, are composed of monks with the obligation of celibacy.
On 20 February 2022, the Patriarch decided to be incardinated in another Orthodox Christian jurisdiction and was consecrated Bishop by His Eminence Theodore, Bishop of Heraclea and Primate of the Italian Orthodox Autonomous Church known as the Cisalpine Gaul, a direct emanation of the Patriarchate of Kiev. acquiring regular Apostolic Succession.
On 25 February 2023 he was incardinated into the Orthodox Bishops’ Conference of the Ukrainian Diaspora in the United States, a direct emanation of the UAOC and officially recognised as Prince-Abate Archbishop of Sabourg.
On 20 January 2023 he was incardinated into the Synod of the Orthodox Church in Italy on the same date he was elected Substitute Metropolitan of Italy of the Church. Following the resignation of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Italy, on 16 August 2023 he took over the leadership of the Church ad interim until 14 August 2024, when he was elected Patriarch.
