It was one of those decisions with which Pope Francis is accustomed to surprising. On January 30, the Holy See Information Office announced the appointment of a missionary bishop in Peru to one of the Holy See’s most important positions. He hadn’t been listed among any of the Vatican experts.

The Pontiff has called from the small diocese of Chiclayo, its bishop, the American missionary of Spanish origin, Robert Francis Prevost Martinez , 67, to become the new prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops.

Superior of the Augustinians and missionary

Monsignor Prevost was Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (founded in the 4th century) for two consecutive terms, from 2001 to 2013, which at that time comprised 448 convents, 2,769 brothers, of whom 2,052 were priests.

Because of his position, Monsignor Prevost will be created a cardinal at the next consistory, which will make him a key figure among potential papal candidates in a possible conclave.

The responsibility the Pope has entrusted to you is twofold and decisive. On the one hand, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, you will be responsible for assisting him directly in the selection of the world’s new bishops.

This position also entails the responsibility of President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America , the Vatican body that assists the Pope in particular matters affecting the countries evangelized by Spain and Portugal, the geographical area where the largest number of faithful of the Catholic Church congregate today, the so-called “subcontinent of hope.”

Vatican analysts had pointed out for such decisive positions people with experience in the Roman Curia, such as the Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle , former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and former president of Caritas International, whose role today remains hierarchically in limbo.

The figure of Monsignor Prevost corresponds to the pastor Francis envisions. Of Spanish descent on his mother’s side and French on his father’s, Robert Prevost Martínez was born in Chicago and studied mathematics.

At 22, he left a promising career to enter the Augustinian novitiate. He holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (“Angelicum”) in Rome, which will greatly assist him in navigating the legal intricacies of the bishop appointment process.

He spent a good part of his life as a missionary in Peru. He founded the Augustinian community in the city of Trujillo, serving for many years as superior of this new community. He was also prefect of studies at the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Trujillo, an ecclesiastical judge, and was in charge of two parishes located in poor areas of the city.

The new Vatican paradigm

This appointment is fully consistent with the reform of the Roman Curia that the Pope completed last year with the publication of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium , in force since June.

This document presents a new paradigm for Vatican agencies: from bureaucratic institutions, they must be transformed into entities directly committed to the evangelizing work of the Church, which is the very reason Christ explicitly entrusted them with the task of being.

Ouellet will defend his reputation

Monsignor Prevost replaces Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America .

Significantly, the Vatican announcement specifies that he is leaving office due to age (he has turned 78), and not because of allegations of sexual misconduct. In August 2022, he was the subject of an allegation by a former employee of the Quebec archdiocese when he was its archbishop.

On December 13, Cardinal Ouellet announced that he would take legal action for defamation in court to “prove the falsity of the accusations” and “restore his reputation and honor.”

On January 18, the French magazine Golias reported on a second accusation against Cardinal Ouellet, relating to acts committed between 2008 and 2009. According to Vatican sources, Cardinal Ouellet was due to resign after the Pope’s trip to Canada in July 2022, but the media storm has paradoxically caused him to remain in office for a few more months, as Pope Francis did not want to give the impression that he was reacting under pressure in a case for which he requested a preliminary investigation that would have acquitted Cardinal Ouellet.