Born in Saluzzo (Cuneo) in 1942, father Federico Lombardi, appointed by Benedict XVI new director of the Pressroom of the Holy See, went to a Jesuit school in Turin. In 1960, he entered the novitiate of the province of Turin of the Society of Jesus at Avigliana (Turin). After studying philosophy at the Philosophy Faculty "Aloisianum" of the Jesuits at Gallarate (Varese), where he obtained a diploma in Philosophy, from 1965 to 1969 he was students’ proctor at the Jesuit University College in Turin; in 1969, he graduated in mathematics at the University of Turin. In 1972, he was ordained to priesthood and one year later he obtained a diploma in theology at the Theological Faculty of Phil.-Teol. Hochshule St Georgen of the Jesuits, in Frankfurt am Main. A member of the Writers Association of "Civiltà Cattolica" since 1973, in 1977 father Lombardi was appointed deputy director of the magazine. In 1984, he was appointed Provincial Superior of the Province of Italy of the Society of Jesus; an office he would keep until 1990. One year later, he was called to direct the Vatican Radio Station. Since 2001, father Lombardi has also been general manager of the Vatican TV Centre, and since 2005 he has been general manager of the Vatican Radio Station; he will remain in office also as the director of the Vatican Pressroom.
