Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, a Nigerian priest, as the new sub-secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Monsignor Ekpo was previously an official in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.

The Holy See Press Office announced the new appointment on the morning of Tuesday, April 18th.

Monsignor Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo was born on September 24th, 1981 in Umudike, Nigeria. He was ordained a priest on July 30th, 2011 for the diocese of Umuahia in southeast Nigeria. After obtaining a doctorate in Systematic Theology from the Catholic University of Australia in 2013, he also earned a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was appointed as the Pope’s chaplain on March 17th, 2023, and has been an official in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State since September 5th, 2016.

In a statement reported by Vatican News, the new sub-secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development highlighted his desire to collaborate with superiors and employees of the Dicastery to advance its vision and the mission of the Church.

He also humbly asked the Lord to grant him “the grace to perform this new service that has been entrusted to me with joy, passion, and dedication.”