Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Angelo De Donatis, an auxiliary bishop in Rome, as his vicar for the city.
Archbishop De Donatis is a well-known spiritual director who led Pope Francis's first Lenten retreat as pope.
The Pope is the bishop of Rome, but the Pope's responsibilities are so vast that he needs a vicar to ensure the proper pastoral care of the Diocese of Rome. The Vatican announced the appointment on May 26.
The papal appointment automatically elevates the auxiliary bishop of Rome to archbishop and includes serving as grand chancellor of Rome's Pontifical Lateran University and archpriest of the Basilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral church of the Rome Diocese.
