Pope chooses fellow Augustinian to oversee his charity work

This unexpected move within the Curia brings an end to the mission at the Holy See of the experienced Cardinal Krajewski. Despite his relatively young age — 62 — he had been in Rome since 1998. By choosing Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín to replace him, Leo XIV has, for the first time, selected one of his Augustinian brothers to lead a Roman dicastery.

Cardinal Krajewski, under Pope Francis, gave this work an increasingly high profile.

Formerly known as the Office of Papal Charities, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity was elevated to this rank by the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, published in 2022 by Pope Francis. It ranks third in the hierarchy of the Holy See.

At the head of this institution, Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín will carry out “in every part of the world the work of aid and assistance offered in the name of the Roman Pontiff,” according to the apostolic constitution.

He will also be tasked with receiving, seeking, and soliciting donations for the Pope’s charitable works. Finally, the Pope delegates to him the authority to grant apostolic blessings in his name — printed on “parchments” and sent to the faithful who request them.

Born in Madrid (Spain) in 1961, Luis Marín de San Martín took his first vows in the Order of Saint Augustine at the age of 21. He has been a priest since 1988 and holds a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid.

This prelate has held various positions within the Augustinian Order in Spain. Notably, he served as formator at the Major Seminary of Tagaste, Provincial Councilor, and finally Prior of the Monastery of Santa María de La Vid.

In the 2010s, he left his country to become General Archivist of the Order, Assistant General of the Augustinians, and finally President of the Institutum Spiritualitatis Augustinianae. While serving in these roles, he worked alongside Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, who served as Prior General of the Augustinians during that period.

In February 2021, Pope Francis brought him into the Roman Curia by appointing him Undersecretary of the Synod for Bishops, alongside the French Sister Nathalie Becquart. His replacement in this position has not been announced.

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski’s departure for Poland brings to a close 28 years of service within the Roman Curia. This return to his homeland had already been considered on several occasions in recent years, notably a few months ago following the resignation of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Kraków due to age. The Polish cardinal was one of the few figures in the College of Cardinals embodying continuity between John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.

With this appointment as Archbishop of Łódź, in central Poland, Cardinal Krajewski returns to his original archdiocese. With approximately 500 priests serving more than 1,300,000 Catholics, it is one of the most significant Polish dioceses.

He told Vatican News that the Pope had asked him if he wanted to “bring all his mature experience in the Universal Church to a local Church.” He happily accepted “because the good of the Church is born from closeness to the faithful.” Also, he admits, “I never left Poland; I’ve always remained among the people and I was also a little homesick.”

Called to Rome in 1998 to serve the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, he spent the final years of the 263rd pope’s long pontificate in close proximity to his fellow Pole, assisting with the liturgical rites of a pope who was increasingly suffering and limited by disability.

He continued this service throughout the pontificate of Benedict XVI, becoming a familiar figure at papal celebrations. At the same time, beginning with the beatification of Mother Teresa in 2003, he took on the task of distributing food to the poor of Rome.

Upon learning of this Polish prelate’s charitable work, Pope Francis entrusted him with the Office of Papal Charities beginning in the summer of 2013. To everyone’s surprise, he created him a cardinal in June 2018 — an unusual move for a “mere” Papal Almoner.

In his mission to serve the poor in Rome, he has made several dramatic gestures. On May 12, 2019, for example, he personally lifted a manhole cover and turned the electricity back on in a government-owned building on the outskirts of Rome, which had been cut off due to unpaid bills and was housing for several disadvantaged people. In 2018, the Italian press revealed that “Don Corrado,” as he is still commonly known, had spent more than three and a half million euros to cover the bills of people in need.

Although some observers mentioned him in 2016 as a possible successor to Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz as Archbishop of Kraków, he remained in Rome as a central figure in Pope Francis’ charitable work. The Argentine pope also entrusted him with missions abroad, notably in Ukraine, and on the Greek island of Lesbos in December 2019, from where he brought back 33 migrants.

With the entry into force of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium in 2022, he continued his mission as papal chaplain at the head of the new Dicastery for Charity established by Pope Francis.

He thus continues to appear at numerous liturgical occasions, such as the celebration of baptisms for Vatican employees, held in the Sistine Chapel on the second Sunday of January, during the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

He was sent various times by Pope Francis to Ukraine beginning in 2022, traveling to the country on numerous occasions as an emissary of Pope Francis. Delivering medical supplies, he visited Kyiv in particular and witnessed mass graves left behind by the Russian army. On September 17, 2022, his convoy was caught in a firefight near the city of Zaporizhzhia, from which he escaped unharmed.

He traveled to Ukraine again in December 2024 to celebrate Christmas with this long-suffering population. In May 2025, he participated in the conclave that elected Leo XIV.