(Vatican Radio) On Saturday, Vatican Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lomabrdi
issued the following statement regarding Pope Francis’ approval of a Prelate to the
Institute of Religious Works, more commonly known as the IOR. With this appointment
the two top positions at the financial institution are filled.
Pope Francis
has approved the appointment ad interim of Monsignor Battista Mario Salvatore
Ricca as Prelate of the Institute for Religious Works (IOR). Mons. Ricca, who was
nominated by the Supervisory Committee of the Commission of Cardinals for the IOR,
will act as secretary at Commission meetings and assist the Supervisory Board, according
to the Institute’s Statutes.
Mons. Ricca , born in 1956 in Offlaga in the province
of Brescia, is a member of the Diplomatic Service in the First Section of the Secretariat
of State. He is Director of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Domus Internationalis
Paulus VI, the Domus Romana Sacerdotalis and Casa San Benedetto.
The
former Prelate was Archbishop Piero Pioppo, currently Nuncio in Cameroon and Equatorial
Guinea, who filled this role from 2006 to 2011.
With the appointment of Ernst
von Freyberg as President and Mons. Ricca as Prelate, the Commission of Cardinals
has thus filled the two most important positions as provided by the IOR Statutes,
which had remained vacant for some time. The appointment of Mons. Ricca takes immediate
effect.