Pope Francis on May 26, 2018, appointed Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He will assume the office at the end of August, in the meantime maintaining his role as Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretary of State until June 29, 2018. and continuing as special delegate to the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Archbishop Becciu is among the new Cardinals-to-be who Pope Francis announced on May 20, 2018. The 14 will be created Cardinals at a consistory on June 29, 2018.
Archbishop Becciu was born in Pattada, Italy, on June 2, 1948. After graduating in Canon Law he was ordained a priest of Ozieri Diocese on August 27, 1972.
He was inducted into the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1984, and worked for many years in various missions around the world, including in the Central African Republic, New Zealand, Liberia, the United Kingdom, France and the United States.
On October 15, 2001, Saint Pope John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Angola and a month later also Nuncio to São Tomé and Príncipe. On December 1, that year, he was consecrated bishop in Pattada. On July 23, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI transferred him to the Apostolic Nunciature of Cuba, from where he was recalled to the Vatican to serve as the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State. New-elected pontiff, Pope Francis confirmed him in the post in 2013.
On February 2, 2017, the Pope appointed him special delegate to the Knights of Malta to resolve the crisis in the order.
