Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Mario Grech to body that vets new bishops

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Mario Grech to a body of the Roman Curia that oversees the selection of new bishops.

Grech is now a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the work of bishops and is tasked with reviewing candidates and making recommendations to the pope on bishop appointments.

Cardinal Grech’s name features on a list of new appointments to the dicastery, which for the first time, also includes three women.

The first women appointed to the dicastery are Sr Raffaella Petrini (secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State), Sr Yvonne Reungoat (former superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians), Maria Lia Zervino (president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations).

Zervino is also the first ever laywoman to be appointed to the congregation.

Grech was made Cardinal by Pope Francis in November 2020, and was this year tipped among Vatican gossipers to succeed Francis when the papacy becomes vacant.

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