New lay leader for Vatican Economics secretariat (CNA)

Pope Francis has named a Spanish layman, Maximino Caballero Ledo, to head the Secretariat for the Economy, after the resignation of Father Juan Antonio Guerrero, who had held that post since 2019.

The Vatican announced only that Father Guerrero was stepping down “for personal reasons.” But in a message to his staff, the Jesuit priest explained that he had recently undergone major surgery and “I am undergoing medical treatment that has side effects that make it particularly difficult for me to carry out a task as demanding as the one I am entrusted with.”

Caballero has been secretary-general of the Secretariat, the second-ranking official in the office, since 2020. He previously had a long record of corporate leadership.