By Andrea Gagliarducci
Rome Newsroom, Feb 24, 2025 / 06:00 am
The recent retirements of Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn have marked a significant generational turnover in the Roman Curia and beyond.
With seven cardinal residential bishops turning 75 in 2025 and eight cardinal heads of dicasteries reaching or exceeding the age limit, the landscape of leadership is undergoing a major shift.
In a unique case within the Diocese of Rome, Bishop Paolo Ricciardi’s appointment as bishop of the Diocese of Jesi highlights the ongoing overhaul within the diocese.
Diocese of Rome
Pope Francis has initiated a complete overhaul of the leadership in the Diocese of Rome. Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar for the diocese, now oversees just three auxiliary bishops: Renato Tarantelli Baccari, who has been appointed vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome; Benoni Ambarus; and Michele Di Tolve.
Baccari covers Rome’s southern sector, Ambarus focuses on Charity, Migrants, Roma, and Sinti, while Di Tolve is responsible for seminaries. This leaves vacant the eastern sector, previously led by Ricciardi, and the north, overseen by Bishop Daniele Salera.
Welcome to our blog where we bring you the latest updates on the leadership changes and reorganizations within the Catholic Church. In the Diocese of Rome, Baccari now leads the southern sector, while Reina oversees the western sector.
Over the past year, Rome has seen the departure of five auxiliaries, including Reina himself, who has been relocated to Italy or the Vatican for new roles. Among the reassigned auxiliaries are Bishop Riccardo Lamba, now Archbishop of Udine; Bishop Daniele Libanori, serving as the pope’s assessor for consecrated life; Bishop Dario Gervasi, appointed as the adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life; and Salera, who is now the bishop of Ivrea.
The restructuring of the Diocese of Rome began in 2024 with the transfer of Cardinal Angelo de Donatis to the Office of the Major Penitentiary. Although the Penitentiary deals with matters of forgiveness of sins, it is a less influential position compared to the vicar of the Diocese of Rome.
In 2025, several cardinal archiepiscopal sees have seen successions, including Washington, Vienna, and Mumbai. Cardinal Robert McElroy now leads Washington, while Vienna remains under an apostolic administrator, and John Rodrigues has taken over Mumbai.
As the year progresses, we anticipate changes within the Council of Cardinals as members like Gracias, Vérgez, O’Malley, and Nichols reach the age of 80. The new year also brings a group of prominent cardinals turning 75, signaling potential resignations and retirements.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Catholic Church’s leadership transitions and developments. Thank you for reading!
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