Pope Leo names replacement for his old job

He himself led this department for almost exactly two years: from April 2023 until the death of Pope Francis on April 21 of this year.

The new Pope has chosen a man from the Roman Curia to head this dicastery, one of the most strategic departments of the Vatican administration. The bishops dicastery coordinates the process of appointing bishops in the dioceses of Europe, North and South America, the Philippines, and Australia. About 15 priests work there.

Archbishop Filippo Iannone is a canon law specialist born in Naples in 1957. A Carmelite religious, he obtained a doctorate in law and was ordained a priest in 1982. Formerly assistant judicial vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal of Naples, he taught Church law at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Southern Italy.

In 2001, during the pontificate of John Paul II, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Naples. Then, in 2012, Benedict XVI chose him as vice-manager of the Vicariate of Rome, an important responsibility in the management of the pope's diocese.

In 2017, Pope Francis asked him to take on the role of assistant secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. A few months later, the Argentine pontiff entrusted him with the presidency of this advisory body.

At the head of this department, which became a full-fledged dicastery in 2022, Archbishop Filippo Iannone examined all the legal texts produced by the Holy See to assess their correct interpretation of Church law. This dicastery can also receive appeals against laws other than those issued by the pope.

It has also published explanatory notes intended to remind people of best practices. Such was the case last April when the dicastery reiterated the “absolute prohibition” on modifying or canceling data contained in a baptismal register.

Through their roles prior to the conclave, Filippo Iannone and Robert Francis Prevost had the opportunity to work together. In particular, they were among the representatives of the Roman Curia who engaged in dialogue with the German bishops at a time of tension caused by German synodal initiatives rejected by Rome in 2023.

Like Cardinal Prevost, Archbishop Filippo Iannone was also a member of the Synod on Synodality, a broad reflection launched by Pope Francis to make the Church more inclusive and less clerical.

In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Holy See, the Italian canonist recalled that the issue of combating abuse in the Church was present during the Synod sessions. He emphasized that canon law had been revised after the 2019 summit on abuse, and said that “in legislative texts, there is an increasing emphasis on the welfare of persons whose dignity has been violated.”

By appointing Archbishop Filippo Iannone as Prefect of Bishops, Leo XIV undoubtedly intends to ensure that future bishops strictly apply the new standards for combating abuse. In November 2024, the Vatican also announced that Bishop Iannone would chair a working group on the definition of “spiritual abuse,” which is not currently recognized in the legal code of the Church.

“He’s a canonist and a manager, a very traditional person, without much charisma, a servant who has the spirit of the Curia ... With him, there will be no sparks,” says a Roman source who knows him well. “The message sent by Leo XIV could be the following: to govern, he prefers to rely on serious and traditional people rather than seeking out original profiles,” she analyzes.

At the same time, Leo XIV clearly wants to ensure stability for this important dicastery, which he led for only two years. A sign of this is his confirmation of the secretary of the dicastery for Bishops, Bishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari. This Brazilian prelate has been in office since 2013, for five years. He has also renewed the appointment of the Bosnian undersecretary, Monsignor Ivan Kovač, who has been an official in this dicastery since 2012 and undersecretary since 2023.

The appointment of Archbishop Filippo Iannone suggests the possibility of a forthcoming consistory with the creation of new cardinals. Traditionally, the Prefect of Bishops is made a cardinal. Bishop Prevost became a cardinal in September 2023, nine months after his appointment as Prefect.

Currently, the College of Cardinal Electors has 128 members, which is above the theoretical threshold of 120.