Rocco Viviano is a missionary priest belonging to the Society of Saint Francis Xavier for the Missions (Xaverian Missionaries).
After completing his undergraduate theological studies and earning a STB from the Inter-Diocesan Theological Institute of Reggio Emilia (Italy) in 2000, he obtained an MA in Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue from Heythrop College, University of London (UK), and an MA in Mission Studies from the Missionary Institute of London, Middlesex University (UK) in 2003.
From 2004 to 2009 he worked in the Philippines where he was vice-rector and academic adviser at the Xaverian International Theological Formation Community in Manila. He was a lecturer in missiology and interreligious dialogue at the Loyola School of Theology and at the Maryhill School of Theology (Manila), and also engaged in Muslim-Christian dialogue as a member of the Silsilah Movement for Dialogue (Philippines).
From 2009 to 2013 he returned to the UK to pursue doctoral research on the theological-ecclesiological thought of Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI on interreligious dialogue at Heythrop College and he was awarded a PhD from the University of London (2013). During those years he also lectured on missiology, Christian-Muslim relations and on the theology of interreligious dialogue at Heythrop College, at Notre Dame University in London and St John's Catholic Seminary in Wonersh (Guildford).
Rocco has been working in Japan since 2014. He is presently Interreligious Dialogue coordinator for the Xaverian Missionaries, and serves Catholic Archdiocese of Osaka as director of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and as director for Ecumenical Affairs. In March 2018 he was very recently appointed as a member of the Sub-Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan.
He has been an associate to the Heythrop Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue and the Heythrop Centre for Easter Christianity (UK) for many years, and a member of the Interantional Association of Catholic Missiologists (IACM) since 2011. In July 2017 he was elected as General Secretary of IACM.  He is also a member of the editorial board of Sacra Doctrina.
His academic interests include: the theology of Interreligious Dialogue, especially in the Catholic tradition and teaching, and the theology of Benedict XVI; Jewish-Christian Relations; historical and contemporary perspectives on Muslim-Christian dialogue, with a particular interest in the thought of Louis Massignon; Christian-Buddhist dialogue, with a special focus on Japanese Buddhism. He has recently developed an interest in the relationship between Christianity and Shinto, and on the relationship between Christianity and the Tea Ceremony, which he started practicing a year ago as a way of deepening his knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and religiosity.