Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Today 3 July at 5pm in St Peter's Basilica, His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of His Holiness, will ordain Archbishop Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, recently appointed Secretary adjunct of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Assisting Cardinals will be Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
The Archbishop elect was born in Longardore di Sospiro (CR) 4 February 1937, ordained a priest on 27 May 1961 and sent to Rome to study Canon Law at the Gregorian University, where he obtained a Licentiate and then in 1967 returned to serve in his own diocese. He has since ministered as follows: diocesan assistant Adult Section of Catholic Action, secretary of Bishop Amari, Bishop's Chancellor, diocesan assistant general of Catholic Action, Pro-Vicar General of the diocese, Secretary General of the diocesan Synod, Parish priest and Canon of Cremona Cathedral. He has taught Canon Law and the diocesan seminary and religion and letters at Scuola Magistrale Parificata of the religious institute of the Figli del Sacro Cuore di Gesù (Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Since October 1996 he served as under secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference and president of the Conference's Committee for works of charity in developing countries. Pope Benedict XVI on 24 May 2008 this year appointed him Secretary adjunct of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/7/2008)
