Vatican City, Dec 7, 2012 / 09:23 am
Pope Benedict XVI named his private secretary as the new head of the papal household, an important post because it carries the responsibility of coordinating the pontiff's schedule and deciding who is able to meet with him.
Monsignor Georg Gänswein was appointed as the new leader of the papal household on Dec. 7, after the American Cardinal James M. Harvey had served in the position for nearly 15 years.
As part of the appointment, Pope Benedict raised Msgr. Gänswein to the level of archbishop and made him the titular archbishop of Urbisaglia, the largest archaeological park in the Italian region of Marche.
In his new role as prefect of the papal household, Archbishop Gänswein will serve as the gatekeeper for meetings with the Pope as well as direct the papal household.