Tag: Nigerian Priest

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Edward Daleng, a Nigerian Augustinian priest, as the new vice-regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, the Vatican announced on Monday. The Prefecture of the Papal Household is one of the Vatican’s oldest and most important offices. It manages the pope’s daily schedule, public and private meetings, and ensures that all engagements are carried out smoothly and according to tradition. As vice-regent, Daleng will assist Archbishop Leonardo Sapienza, the regent, in organising the pope’s audiences with world leaders, diplomats, and church officials. He will also help coordinate papal visits, ceremonies, and oversee the operations of the papal apartments and daily logistics. Although the position of vice-regent is not formally recognised in the Catholic Church’s constitution, it provides Daleng with an opportunity to learn the workings of the Vatican household gradually. Daleng, born on April 4, 1977, in Yitla’ar, Kwalla, Plateau State, was ordained a priest on September 10, 2005. He earned a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in 2012. Before this appointment, he served as general counsellor and procurator general of the Order of Saint Augustine in Rome, representing the order before the Holy See and liaising with Augustinian provinces worldwide. Speaking to Vatican media shortly after Pope Leo’s election, Daleng praised the pontiff’s connection to Africa. “He has Africa in his heart,” he said. “He has visited all our African missions several times and has come to Nigeria on at least ten occasions, including in 2016, when we celebrated for the first time the intermediate General Chapter.” Daleng’s appointment comes after Pope Leo visited Abuja, engaging with members of the Augustinian order and the broader Catholic community. This makes him one of the few Nigerian Augustinian priests to take on such a significant role in the Vatican.