Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Emilio Nappa as the new Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, with effect from 1 March 2025. This was announced today by the Holy See Press Office.
Until now, Archbishop Nappa has been adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Section for First Evangelization and the new particular Churches, and president of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).
Archbishop Nappa was born in Naples on August 9, 1972. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Aversa on June 28, 1997. He received a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2004 and has held various offices in the diocese, including that of Rector of the Church of San Rocco, Director and Permanent Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Interdiocesan High School of Religious Sciences "Ss. Apostles Peter and Paul" of the Caserta Region in Capua and Canon of the Cathedral. He was also a local collaborator of the Apostolic Nunciature in Italy and an official of the General Affairs Department of the Secretariat of State. In September 2022 he was appointed Official of the Secretariat for the Economy.
On December 3, 2022, Pope Francis appointed him Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and President of the Pontifical Missionary Societies, conferring on him the title of Archbishop and assigning him the titular See of Satriano.
The episcopal ordination was celebrated on Saturday, January 28, 2023, in St. Peter's Basilica. The Archbishop was consecrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Missionary Dicastery.
Archbishop Nappa's motto is "Caritas diffusa est" and refers to a passage from St. Paul's letter to the Romans. At the liturgy for the episcopal ordination at the papal altar in St. Peter's Basilica, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Deputy for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State, and Angelo Spinillo, Bishop of Aversa, were the co-consecrators.
In the more than two years of Archbishop Nappa's activity at the head of the Pontifical Mission Societies, a National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Albania was established and a representation of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, called "Missio Avona", was set up. Work is still underway to set up a National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ukraine.
During Archbishop Nappa's presidency, synergies between the International Secretariats and National Directions were also intensified, with the aim of strengthening the network of assistance with which the Pontifical Mission Societies support the mission in the local Churches on a daily basis. (Agenzia Fides, 25/2/2025)
