Argentine priest is Pope Francis’ new personal secretary

By Julieta Villar

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 18, 2023 / 15:30 pm

Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17 announced that Pope Francis has appointed a priest from the Buenos Aires Archdiocese, Father Daniel Pellizzon, 40, to act as his personal secretary. Pellizzon will replace Father Gonzalo Aemilius in the position.

García said Pellizzon will travel to Rome at the beginning of August to begin his new role.

The archbishop offered his prayer for the priest as he begins “this new mission entrusted to the service of the Church.”

Pellizzon was born Jan. 24, 1983, in Buenos Aires.

In 2011 and 2012 he collaborated with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio  — the archbishop at that time — in organizing his personal archives.

Pellizzon was ordained a priest on Nov. 3, 2018.

He began his ministry first as a deacon and then as parochial vicar, serving  pilgrims at St. Cajetin Shrine in the Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires for five years.

In March, he was assigned as vicar to Our Lady of Mercy Parish, where he continues to work to date.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Julieta Villar has a degree in social communication from the National University of La Matanza (Argentina). She began her professional career as an editor at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA). She has collaborated in graphic press media and communication tasks in civil society organizations. Since October 2022, she has been part of the ACI Prensa team as a correspondent for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay.