Pope Leo makes surprise pick as his successor in powerful Vatican office
Pope Leo during the Jubilee of Catechists Audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican (Picture: Evandro Inetti/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
Pope Leo XIV has named a relatively unknown Italian cleric to lead the Vatican office he previously headed.
In his first major appointment, Leo appointed Archbishop Filippo Iannone, 67, the new prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops, which advises the pope on which priests should become bishops.
The office was led by Leo, then US Cardinal Robert Prevost, until his election in May to replace Pope Francis.
Leo, the first US pope, has so far shown a more reserved and low-key style than his Argentine predecessor, who often made headlines with off-the-cuff remarks or surprise appointments.
The naming of Iannone may suggest he is looking for figures similar to himself when making major appointments.
Iannone, originally from Naples and a member of the Carmelite religious order, had been leading the Vatican office responsible for organising and interpreting the Church’s extensive system of laws.
He has also served as a bishop in Lazio, the Italian region around Rome, and as a consultant to several Vatican offices.
One unnamed Vatican official told America Magazine Leo’s choice ‘is difficult to decipher’.
Another said: ‘He is totally like Leo, he is someone who listens, thinks, reflects and then acts.’
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful during a Holy Mass on the occasion of the Jubilee of Youth (Picture: EPA)
The King and Queen will have a first meeting with the pope during a state visit to Vatican City next month.
Buckingham Palace said the couple will join Leo in late October to celebrate the 2025 jubilee year.
Charles and Camilla had a meeting with Francis just 12 days before his death.
The couple’s historic state visit to the Vatican in early April was cancelled because of the pope’s poor health, but they managed to visit the head of the Roman Catholic Church privately during their trip to Italy.
The King, in an official message released following the news of Francis’s death on April 21, said he and Camilla were ‘most deeply saddened’.
In May, the Palace said the King sent a private message to Leo, congratulating him on his election.
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