Pope Leo XIV's 1st Major Vatican Appointment to Dicastery of Bishops Filling His Previous Role as Cardinal Robert Prevost
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Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a head of a Vatican department, naming Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm. – who has been serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative texts – as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.The successor as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops was expected to be among the first appointments by Pope Leo, following the precedent established by Pope Benedict XVI with his early choice of William Levada to follow him as head of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Prior to his election as Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost headed up the Dicastery for Bishops, from January 2023, when he was transferred to Rome by Francis, until the death of the Pope in April 2025. On Friday, 26 September, Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Filippo Iannone, until now Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a role that also includes presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Holy See Announcement: Resignations and Appointments, September 26, 2025
Appointment of the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and confirmation of the Secretary and Under-Secretary of the same Dicastery
His Holiness Leo XIV has appointed His Excellency Most Reverend Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm., currently Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He will take up his post on October 15, 2025.
The Supreme Pontiff has confirmed His Excellency the Most Reverend Monsignor Ilson de Jesus Montanari as Secretary of the Dicastery for Bishops for a term of five years .
The Holy Father confirmed Monsignor Ivan Kovač as Under-Secretary of the same Dicastery for a five-year term .
BIOGRAPHY
Archbishop Iannone, a native of Naples who will turn 68 on December 13, is a Carmelite, jurist, and canon lawyer with extensive experience in courts, pontifical universities, and the archdiocese.
He has held various positions in Rome, including serving as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; a consultor to the then Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life; a member of the Council for Legal Affairs of the Italian Bishops’ Conference; president of the Committee for Places of Worship, and a member of the Episcopal Conference of the Italian province of Lazio.
In 2012, he was appointed vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome by Benedict XVI; later, in 2017, he was transferred by Francis to the position of adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. He became president of that Council the following year, on 7 April 2018.
Archbishop Iannone is now charged with continuing the work that the future Pope had undertaken for two years. The role of Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops is a delicate one: assisting the Pope in choosing the pastors to whom he will entrust the ecclesial communities throughout the world. After identifying priests to propose for the episcopate, the final decision rests with the Pope.
To assist in this mission, Francis appointed three women as members of the Dicastery for Bishops in July 2022: Sister Raffaella Petrini, current president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Yvonne Reungoat, former superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and Maria Lia Zervino, former president of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUFC).
Archbishop Iannone, a native of Naples who will turn 68 on December 13, is a Carmelite, jurist, and canon lawyer with extensive experience in courts, pontifical universities, and the archdiocese.
He has held various positions in Rome, including serving as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; a consultor to the then Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life; a member of the Council for Legal Affairs of the Italian Bishops’ Conference; president of the Committee for Places of Worship, and a member of the Episcopal Conference of the Italian province of Lazio.
In 2012, he was appointed vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome by Benedict XVI; later, in 2017, he was transferred by Francis to the position of adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. He became president of that Council the following year, on 7 April 2018.
Archbishop Iannone is now charged with continuing the work that the future Pope had undertaken for two years. The role of Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops is a delicate one: assisting the Pope in choosing the pastors to whom he will entrust the ecclesial communities throughout the world. After identifying priests to propose for the episcopate, the final decision rests with the Pope.
To assist in this mission, Francis appointed three women as members of the Dicastery for Bishops in July 2022: Sister Raffaella Petrini, current president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Yvonne Reungoat, former superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and Maria Lia Zervino, former president of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUFC).
Sources: Vatican News and Holy See Press Office
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