May 10, 2011. (Romereports.com) Up until today, Archbishop Fernando Filoni held the title as the “Vatican's Deputy Secretary of State.” It's the third highest ranking job in the Holy See. For four years, he helped Benedict XVI in handling everyday business matters, which included going with the pope to his scheduled trips and working as a liaison between the pope and the Roman Curia.
The pope had decided to promote him. Archbishop Filoni is now the new
prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. It's a
job that will put him in charge of almost a third of the world's
diocese, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Archbishop is 65 years old. During Saddam Hussein's last years, he
served as a nuncio in Iraq. He was the only diplomat who didn't leave
the country during the war.
He worked as a diplomat in Iran, Sri Lanka, Brazil and the Philippines
and he also speaks five languages. Before working in the Vatican's
diplomatic service, he served as a priest in southern Italy for ten
years.
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