Msgr. Luis Marín, new Pope's almoner

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Luis Marin de San Martin, O.S.A., as the new Almsgiver of His Holiness and Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, conferring upon him the dignity of Archbishop. Marín, until now titular bishop of Suliana and Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod. He thus replaces Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who has been appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Łódź (Poland). Cardinal Krajewski, 63, had held the post of Almsgiver since 2013 and became prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity in 2022.

The newly appointed Almsgiver of His Holiness expressed in a message his «profound gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his confidence», while assuring that he will try to fulfill his new responsibilities «with fidelity, involvement and enthusiasm».

In this work, he continued, «I want to put the poor at the center and allow myself to be challenged by their cry, which is that of Christ. As a Christian, as a pastor, I must reveal the true face of divine love. And he affirmed that »service to the poor refers back to the Gospel. They evangelize us. He also recalled his predecessor, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, and his «hard and magnificent task».

Synod Partners

The new Almsgiver recalled his colleagues in the Synod Secretariat, among them Cardinal Mario Grech. He also expressed his gratitude for the appointment he received from Pope Francis, «who called me to collaborate in this time of renewal and hope».

Bishop Marín highlighted the richness of «the years spent as undersecretary of the Synod» and highlighted «the vitality of the Church, which chases away the shadows of pessimism and resignation. He also stressed that during his work he met »many «saints next door‘ who, with simplicity, courage and joy, live and witness to their faith and sow the Gospel’.

Son of the Church

Mons. Luis Marín also dedicated a few words to the Church, «whom I love with all my being and whom I wish to serve in whatever she asks of me, in whatever she needs from me, like a son with his Mother». In the same vein, he ended his message by affirming: «I know that I am not alone. I am a son of the Church, I am part of the People of God. We walk together» and asked for prayers to carry out his work.

Who is Mons. Luis Marín?

Bishop Luis Marin comes to the position with a trajectory marked by the coordination and promotion of synodality in the Church. An Augustinian from Madrid, he has been one of the undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops, collaborating closely with Cardinal Mario Grech and the French nun Nathalie Becquart. In a interview granted to Omnes Marín described the Synod as a process of listening and participation, emphasizing that the synodal Church is walking together: «to live the Church is to live synodality. Promoting this synodality is the task of all Christians”.

In his work as undersecretary, Msgr. Marin has promoted the participation of the laity in the Church, always emphasizing the spiritual dimension and openness to the Holy Spirit as a guide for discernment. His experience in coordinating and leading synodal processes will be key in his new mission, which combines the administration of the Dicastery with the direct accompaniment of the Pope's charitable works.

Luis Marin has shared his daily life with the Pope for years and maintains a great friendship with him, which has allowed him to get to know his career closely. After the election of Leo XIV, the new almoner dedicated a article in Omnes to analyze and publicize his figure.