Culture and Ideas · October 13, 2026
Pope appoints Archbishop Viola as Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica
On Saturday, October 10, 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, OFM, as the Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, as well as the Pope's Vicar General and President of the St. Peter's Company. The Pope announced this appointment in a press release on Saturday. Previously, Archbishop Viola served as the Secretary for the newly established department for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Born on October 4, 1965, in Biella, Italy, he took his vows in 1991 with the Order of Friars Minor and was ordained a priest in 1993. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and was appointed Bishop of Tortona in 2014 before becoming the Secretary of the department in 2021. Pope Leo also appointed Bishop Aurelio García Macías as the Secretary of the department for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Bishop García has been serving as the Assistant Secretary of the department since May 27, 2021, when Pope Francis appointed him as Bishop. Born on March 28, 1965, in Polos, Spain, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Valladolid in 1992 and holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm. Bishop García Macías began working in the department in 2015.