Vatican City, Oct 7, 2010 / 09:57 am
The 66-year-old secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy was appointed today as its new prefect. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza will bring many years of inside experience to the role in which he will oversee the world's Catholic priests.
The announcement of Archbishop Mauro Piacenza as the new prefect came from the Holy See's Press Office just after noon on Thursday along with the news that the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" had also received a new president.
Archbishop Piacenza will oversee the congregation's three main responsibilities: general management of the training, formation and pastoral ministry of priests; oversight and promotion of the catechetical formation of all faithful of all states of life; and the administration of legal matters relating to care for the clergy and parishes.
Archbishop Piacenza was born in Genoa, Italy in 1944, was ordained a priest in 1969 and is a Canon Law expert. He has served as a professor of Canon Law and has also taught on the subjects of contemporary culture and the history of atheism.