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Pope Leo has appointed Monsignor Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo as the Assessor for General Affairs in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.
The position is one of the most influential administrative offices in the Catholic Church.
Before his elevation, Msgr Ekpo served as Undersecretary at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
A priest of the Umuahia Diocese, Ekpo was born in Umudike on 24 September 1981 and ordained on 30 July 2011.
He holds advanced degrees in systematic theology and canon law, and joined the Holy See on 5 September 2016 as an official in the Section for General Affairs.
He later became Undersecretary of the Dicastery on 18 April 2023.
His appointment marks the second major Vatican position given to a Nigerian this month.
Earlier, Pope Leo named Fr. Edward Daleng of Plateau State as Vice Regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, where he assists in coordinating the Pope’s non-liturgical activities.
In his new capacity, Msgr Ekpo becomes the third-highest-ranking official in the Section for General Affairs, after the Secretary of State and the Substitute for General Affairs.
As Assessor, he will support the Substitute in overseeing the Church’s daily operations, including curial coordination, appointments, publication of official documents, diplomatic affairs, and supervision of the papal seal and Fisherman’s Ring.
The section also provides guidance to papal nuncios worldwide on issues concerning the local church.
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