Friday, May 13, 2011

Pope reshuffles Vatican government

Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday reshuffled his Vatican administration, appointing a new interior minister and a new head of the influential Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The new interior minister is Giovanni Angelo Becciu and the head of the congregation, also known by its Latin name of Propaganda Fide, will be Fernando Filoni, a 65-year-old known for his wide diplomatic experience.

Filoni has worked in Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Filoni has also had a leading role in trying to reconcile the state-sanctioned Catholic Church in China and the underground church.

He was also one of the few diplomats to remain in Baghdad throughout the US-led war against Saddam Hussein, a conflict that the Vatican opposed.

He defended Iraq's Christian minority, which has been targeted by attacks.