Vatican City, 15 December, 2021 / 12:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis has appointed a Vatican priest to take over the financial management of one of the four papal major basilicas in Rome.
The Vatican announced Dec. 15 that Pope Francis had named Vatican diplomat Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas as extraordinary commissioner for the Chapter of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Chapter, a legally constituted organization, is responsible for celebrating liturgies at the basilica and carrying out the church’s pastoral service. The basilica sits within Italian territory but is owned by the Holy See.
The Vatican said that Makrickas was appointed to manage the Chapter’s assets due “to the particular complexities of the economic and financial management,” which has been “exacerbated by the spread of the pandemic.”
He will be assisted by officials from the Secretariat for the Economy, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and APSA, the Vatican’s central bank.