Besides the third female leader of a dicastery and other new leaders for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Holy See Press Office announced major leadership reshuffles across the Roman Curia on Tuesday, June 30, just ahead of the summer break.
Before the summer recess, the Holy Father announced key personnel moves across Vatican communication, charity, legislative, and mission offices.
Most notably, Monsignor Lucio Adrián Ruiz, an Argentine priest, will become secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity on September 1. Previously, he served as secretary of the Dicastery for Communication. Additional appointments were made within the Dicastery for Legislative Texts and the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Monsignor Ruiz, a priest of the Diocese of Santa Fe, Argentina, has served as the number-two official at the Dicastery for Communication (originally called the Secretariat for Communication) since its inception in June 2015. Working alongside Monsignor Dario Vigano, the office’s first prefect, he helped guide the complex transformation of the Holy See’s communications apparatus. This included integrating Vatican Radio and L’Osservatore Romano into a single media operation.
From March to July 2018, he served as acting prefect following the resignation of Monsignor Vigano. The former prefect stepped down after a controversy involving a video presentation of a private letter from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, which gave a misleading impression of the late pontiff’s remarks.
Monsignor Ruiz then resumed his duties as secretary under Paolo Ruffini, who in the summer of 2018 became the first layman appointed to lead a Vatican dicastery. Ruffini will step down on October 31 and will be succeeded by Montse Alvarado, former president of EWTN News. The name of the new communications secretary has not yet been announced. It’s possible that the post may remain vacant until the new prefect takes office and forms her team.
Transitions in charity, canon law, and diplomacy
Following his transfer by Pope Leo XIV, Monsignor Ruiz will assume his new duties at the Dicastery for the Service of Charity on September 1, 2026. He will assist Spanish Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, who was appointed prefect in March to replace Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.
Additionally, Massimo Ralli, an Italian layman who previously served as an official within the office, will become undersecretary on the same date. The renewed leadership structure reflects a growing institutionalization of the body, which carries out the duties of the former Office of the Papal Almoner. Under the pontificate of Pope Francis, the office dedicated to aiding those in need maintained a relatively informal character.
Another internal promotion involves the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. Bishop Marco Mellino, who previously served as adjunct secretary, will take over as secretary, also effective September 1. This Italian canonist formerly served as secretary of the Council of Cardinals, an advisory body established under Pope Francis that has since become obsolete.
In the Holy See’s diplomatic service, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo as apostolic nuncio to Australia. The American prelate, who previously served as papal representative in New Zealand, Kenya, and the Czech Republic, reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 on Monday, June 29.
New members of the Dicastery for Evangelization
The Holy Father also renewed the members and consultors for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches within the Dicastery for Evangelization. Among the newly appointed members are several cardinals: Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France; Frank Leo of Toronto, Canada; Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda of Osaka-Takamatsu, Japan; and Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Several non-cardinal members were also appointed. They include Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda, who recently hosted Pope Leo XIV during his apostolic journey to Cameroon; Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, archivist and librarian emeritus of the Holy Roman Church; and Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung of Seoul, South Korea, who will host the upcoming World Youth Day in 2027. Additionally, several new consultors were named, including Archbishop François Sylla of Conakry, Guinea. Monsignor Roger Landry, National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, was also among the new members named to the Dicastery for Evangelization.
