Msgr. Biffi originally comes from the northern Italian city of Lomagna. He was born there in 1934 and is professor emeritus of Systematic Theology and the History of Medieval Theology at the Theology Faculty of Northern Italy. He is also professor emeritus of the same subjects at the Faculty of Theology of Lugano.
He is currently also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, president of the Institute for the History of Medieval Theology of Milan and director of the Institute of the History of Theology at the Faculty of Theology in Lugano.
Pope Francis himself will award the two theologians the Ratzinger Prize inside the Clementine Hall of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace Nov. 26, at the close of an international symposium dedicated to "Eschatology: Analysis and Perspectives."
The Ratzinger Prize was begun in 2011 to recognize scholars whose work demonstrates a meaningful contribution to theology in the spirit of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Bavarian theologian who became Benedict XVI. The prize is awarded by the Ratzinger Foundation, which was founded in 2010 with Benedict XVI's approval to study and promote his writings as a theologian, as a cardinal in charge of the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and as Pope.
Set to take place at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce, the conference marks the 6th such international symposium the Ratzinger Foundation has hosted. This year's theme of eschatology was particularly prominent in the theological writings and research of the organization's protagonist, Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI).
Apart from discussing eschatology in the faith and in the Church, the symposium will also feature two workshops, one of which is dedicated to current questions surrounding eschatology, while the other will present the prospects of eschatology in Judaism.