- Prefect: H. Em. Card. Michael Czerny, S.J.
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Reverend Sister Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., who was serving until now as Secretary of the same Dicastery, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The Reverend Sister Smerilli will take office on 1 September 2026.
The Holy Father has also appointed His Eminence Cardinal Fabio Baggio, C.S., currently Under-Secretary of the same Dicastery, as Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, with special responsibility for the Laudato Si' Higher Education Center. Cardinal Baggio will take office on 1 September 2026.
[Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 30 June 2026]
- Secretary: Rev. Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA
- Under-Secretaries: Rev. Fr. Fabio Baggio, C.S.
- Under-Secretaries: Rev. Msgr. Jozef Barlaš
Holy See Press Office Communiqué (23 December 2021):
In August 2016, Pope Francis announced the creation of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, as a result of the merger of four pre-existing Pontifical Councils. The new dicastery began its work in January 2017. At the end of the first five years of activity with ad experimentum statutes, and following the results of the evaluation visit carried out last summer, the superiors of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development placed their mandate in the hands of the Supreme Pontiff. While sincerely thanking Cardinal Peter K. Appiah Turkson and his collaborators for their service, and while awaiting the appointment of a new director, the Holy Father has entrusted ad interim the ordinary management of the Dicastery as of 1 January 2022 to Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., as prefect, and Sister Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., as secretary.
Statutes of the Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development (17 August 2016)
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