BREAKING Pope Leo XIV Makes 3 New Key Appointments of Prefect, Nuncio, and Minister for General Affairs


Pope Leo XIV Announces Major Vatican Leadership Shake-up

Pope Leo XIV has initiated a significant reshuffle within the Holy See’s top brass, appointing a new "Interior Minister," a Nuncio to Italy, and filling the long-vacant role of Prefect of the Papal Household.

Key Appointments at a Glance

PositionAppointeePrevious Role
Substitute for General AffairsArchbishop Paolo RudelliNuncio to Colombia
Apostolic Nuncio to ItalyArchbishop Edgar Peña ParraSubstitute for General Affairs
Prefect of the Papal HouseholdArchbishop Petar RajičNuncio to Italy

Archbishop Paolo Rudelli: The New "Interior Minister"

The most pivotal move sees Archbishop Paolo Rudelli (age 56) stepping into the role of Substitute for General Affairs. Often described as the Vatican's "Interior Minister," this position is one of the most sensitive in the Secretariat of State.

  • Background: A veteran diplomat since 2001 with experience in Ecuador, Poland, and Zimbabwe.

  • Reaction: Rudelli described the appointment as a "gesture of undeserved trust" and pledged to serve under the guidance of Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

  • Significance: This marks the second major change in the Secretariat of State following the recent appointment of Assessor Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo.

  • Biography: Ordained a priest in 1995 and incardinated in Bergamo, Archbishop Rudelli holds a degree in moral theology and has until now served as Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia. He assumed that post in 2023 following his appointment by Pope Francis, who had consecrated him Bishop in 2019 and sent him, in January 2020, as his representative to Zimbabwe. The prelate's experience in the Holy See’s diplomatic service, however, dates back over twenty years to 2001, with assignments in the Pontifical Representations in Ecuador and Poland, and in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.

    • In a statement issued following today's announcement, Archbishop Rudelli said, “The call from His Holiness Pope Leo to work closely in the exercise of his supreme mission as Substitute of the Secretariat of State is a gesture of undeserved trust that deeply honors me.”

    The Archbishop reassured that “moved by faith,” he will “take on this service in the spirit indicated by the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium.”

    He said he will do so with the awareness that he can rely on the guidance of Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and on the collaboration of Assessor, Monsignor Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, and all the staff of the Section for General Affairs.

    In particular, the new Substitute noted he places his trust in the “intercession” of a distinguished fellow countryman of Bergamo, Pope Saint John XXIII.

Shifting Roles for Peña Parra and Rajič

Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra (pic. right), who has served as Substitute since 2018, will now transition to the Nunciature in Italy. A seasoned Venezuelan diplomat, he brings years of mediation experience from his time in Mozambique and Pakistan to his new post in Rome.

Pope Francis had previously appointed Archbishop Peña Parra as Substitute on 15 August 2018, transferring him from Mozambique. Since 2015, he had led the Apostolic Nunciature in that East African country and also participated in a mediation group to restore peace between the national government and an opposition political party.

Born in 1960, a seasoned diplomat with experience in Kenya, the former Yugoslavia, Honduras, and Mexico, and later serving as Pontifical Representative in Pakistan, Archbishop Peña Parra became the second Latin American to hold the post of Substitute, after the Argentine Leonardo Sandri.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Petar Rajič (pic. center), born in Canada from Croatian parents, takes over as Prefect of the Papal Household. This role, responsible for the Pope’s daily schedule and internal palace management, has been officially vacant for over six years since the departure of Archbishop Georg Gänswein. Rajič moves into this position after a brief stint as Nuncio to Italy.

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