Leo XIV appoints new Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts

- OSV News / Courtney Mares

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Australian Archbishop Anthony Randazzo prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Vatican body charged with interpreting the canon law of the Catholic Church.

The Pope's latest appointment, made on March 25, fills a position in the Roman Curia that had been vacant since September. Archbishop Randazzo succeeds Archbishop Filippo Iannone, whom Pope Leo appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in September.

Episcopal Conferences of Oceania

Archbishop Randazzo, 59, is bishop of Broken Bay (Australia) and president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania. On the occasion of this appointment, the Pope has granted him the personal title of Archbishop.

The Dicastery for Legislative Texts, formerly known as the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, acts as the authority of the Roman Curia in the interpretation of current canon law. It collaborates closely with the Church's tribunals, but has no independent legislative authority.

Born in Australia, Archbishop Randazzo was ordained a priest in Brisbane in 1991 and subsequently studied Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He brings to this position direct experience in the Curia, having worked for five years in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith beginning in 2004, a position that would have given him experience in the Vatican's disciplinary department in charge of abuse cases.

A former Sydney Auxiliary

Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney in 2016, and he was subsequently appointed bishop of Broken Bay in 2019.

Australia's Ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt, welcomed the appointment, calling it “a proud moment for Australia and the Pacific as we continue to look forward to a papal visit to our region in 2028.”.

Archbishop Randazzo will remain in Broken Bay for three months as apostolic administrator before moving to Rome to assume his new duties. In a statement published on social networks, he said he felt “deeply grateful to Pope Leo for the trust he has placed in me”.

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This news item was first published in OSV News. It is reprinted here with permission. You can read the original article HERE.