Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has made his first major appointment to the Roman Curia, naming Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm., as the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. The Archbishop, a seasoned Carmelite canon lawyer and jurist, has until now been serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts.
The appointment, announced Friday through the Holy See Press Office, takes effect on 15 October 2025. Archbishop Iannone succeeds Cardinal Robert Prevost, who led the Dicastery for Bishops from January 2023 until the death of Pope Francis earlier this year. The transition was anticipated as one of the early decisions of Pope Leo’s pontificate, echoing a precedent set by Pope Benedict XVI, who prioritized filling leadership roles in the Curia at the beginning of his papacy.
Alongside Archbishop Iannone’s nomination, Pope Leo confirmed Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari of Brazil as Secretary of the Dicastery for Bishops for another five-year term. Monsignor Ivan Kovač was also confirmed as Undersecretary for the same duration. Both appointments ensure continuity in the governance of one of the Vatican’s most critical departments.
This marks Pope Leo’s first appointment of a Dicastery head, following his earlier decision in May to appoint Sister Tiziana Merletti, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor, as Secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Born in Naples in 1957, Archbishop Iannone is a Carmelite with a distinguished record in canon law, ecclesial governance, and pastoral service. His academic and juridical experience includes teaching in pontifical universities, serving as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and advising the Italian Bishops’ Conference on legal matters.
In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome. Under Pope Francis, he advanced to the role of Adjunct Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts in 2017 and was named President of that body in 2018. His breadth of service has earned him recognition as both a skilled jurist and a pastor deeply rooted in the Carmelite tradition.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops holds a pivotal role in the global Church: assisting the Pope in the discernment and selection of bishops worldwide. This involves identifying and evaluating priests to recommend for episcopal ministry, with the final decision entrusted to the Pope.
Pope Francis previously expanded the consultative body of the Dicastery by including women for the first time in July 2022: Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Yvonne Reungoat, former Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and Maria Lia Zervino, former President of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations. Their ongoing contribution reflects a more inclusive approach to leadership discernment in the Church.
By entrusting Archbishop Iannone with this responsibility, Pope Leo signals both continuity and confidence in a leader with juridical acumen and pastoral sensibility. The Dicastery for Bishops plays a central role in shaping the leadership of dioceses across continents, influencing the pastoral direction of the Church for decades to come.
With this appointment, Pope Leo XIV takes an important step in establishing his governance style, one that balances tradition with renewed emphasis on responsibility, consultation, and service to the universal Church.