Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr Marco Billeri as his second personal secretary, bringing to the papal household another cleric with a background in canon law.
The news was confirmed by Bishop Giovanni Paccosi of San Miniato, who disclosed that the Holy Father personally telephoned him last Wednesday to ask his consent for the appointment. The bishop later told the diocesan newspaper that he felt “joy and vertigo” at the request, recognising both the honour and the loss for his diocese.
Fr Billeri, 41, was born in Pontedera in the province of Pisa and ordained to the priesthood in 2016. After completing his formation, he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he gained a doctorate in canon law.
