Pope Benedict XVI has named Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to be the new prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.The 70-year-old Italian, a member of the Salesian order, was a longtime collaborator of the future pope when he headed the doctrinal congregation.
The Vatican announced his appointment July 9 and said he would be succeeded at the doctrinal congregation by Spanish Jesuit Father Luis Ladaria, 68, secretary-general of the International Theological Commission.
Archbishop Amato was one of the principal drafters of the congregation's 2000 document, "Dominus Iesus" ("The Lord Jesus"), which underscored the unique and universal salvation offered by Christ and his church.
In late 2002, Pope John Paul II named him an archbishop and secretary of the doctrinal congregation.
As prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, a position that signals Pope Benedict's intention to name him a cardinal, Archbishop Amato succeeds Portuguese Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, who turned 76 in January.
Before moving to the doctrinal congregation, Archbishop Amato had taught dogmatic theology and served as vice rector and dean of theology at Rome's Pontifical Salesian University.
His successor at the doctrinal congregation, Father Ladaria, was named an archbishop with his July 9 appointment, the Vatican said.
Born in Manacor on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1944, he earned a degree in law from the University of Madrid, Spain, before entering the Jesuits in 1966. After studying philosophy and theology in Madrid and in Frankfurt, Germany, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1973.
He earned his doctorate in theology from Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University in 1975, and then taught for nine years at the Pontifical Comillas University in Madrid.
Archbishop-designate Ladaria began teaching at the Gregorian University in 1984 and served as vice rector from 1986 to 1994.
Pope John Paul appointed him to a five-year term as a member of the International Theological Commission in 1992 and as secretary-general of the commission in 2004.
The commission meets under the presidency of the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce