Pope Leo XIV has named new leadership for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Sister Alessandra Smerilli will serve as Prefect, Cardinal Fabio Baggio as Pro-Prefect with special responsibility for the Laudato si’ Higher Education Centre, and Monsignor Jozef Barlaš as Secretary. The Holy See announced the appointments on Tuesday, and all three will take effect on September 1, 2026.Sister Alessandra Smerilli, a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, has been Secretary of the Dicastery since 2021.
She will now lead the department as Prefect, succeeding Cardinal Michael Czerny, who has held the role since 2022.Cardinal Fabio Baggio, previously Under-Secretary of the Dicastery, has been appointed Pro-Prefect. In his new position, he is entrusted with special responsibility for the Laudato si’ Higher Education Centre, underscoring the Holy See’s commitment to integral human development inspired by care for creation.Monsignor Jozef Barlaš, who until now served as Under-Secretary, has been named Secretary of the Dicastery.
The appointments establish a new leadership team for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The Vatican department is responsible for advancing the Church’s work in justice and peace, migration, health care, charity, care for creation, and the promotion of human dignity worldwide.