In a significant announcement, Pope Leo XIV has named Cardinal Baldassare Reina as the new Chancellor of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute in Rome, and Cardinal François Xavier Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio, as his Special Representative for a major religious event commemorating a historic Marian vision.
Cardinal Reina, who currently serves as the Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese and Chancellor of the Pontifical Lateran University, will now also oversee the John Paul II Institute, a prestigious academic center dedicated to the Catholic study of family and marriage, founded in honor of Pope Saint John Paul II. His appointment reflects the Holy Father’s trust in Reina’s theological insight and administrative experience.
Meanwhile, Bishop François Xavier Bustillo has been entrusted with a ceremonial role of deep spiritual importance. He will represent the Pope at the closing celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. The solemn occasion is set to take place on June 27, 2025, at the famed pilgrimage site of Paray-le-Monial in France.
The apparitions, which took place between December 27, 1673, and June 18, 1675, sparked the global spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun, reported receiving divine visions urging the faithful to honor Christ’s heart as a symbol of His love and mercy. Her mission, guided by spiritual revelations, would eventually influence Catholic liturgy and popular piety around the world.
To mark this extraordinary anniversary, Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, composed his final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, reaffirming the enduring relevance of the Sacred Heart devotion. The jubilee year’s closing ceremony promises to be a powerful moment of reflection and unity for the global Church, with Bustillo symbolizing the Pope’s spiritual presence.
These appointments underscore the Vatican’s continued emphasis on theological formation and the revitalization of traditional devotions that have shaped centuries of Catholic identity.