It's official: the new president of the IOR (Institute for Works of Religion) is the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste de Franssu. He succeeds the German Ernst von Freyberg. This was announced in a press conference by Australian cardinal George Pell, prefect of the new Secretariat for the Economy, a Vatican economic super-dicastery. He also changes the lay board of the institute.
“Six new lay members – reads a note from the Vatican – will be appointed to the Council of the IOR, including Jean-Baptiste de Franssu (France, with the role of President), Clemens Boersig (Germany), Prof. Mary Ann Glendon (USA) and Sir Michael Hintze (UK). Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, secretary general of the Secretariat for the Economy, will be secretary without the right to vote on the Council of the IOR. Monsignor Battista Ricca remains the Prelate of the IOR". So the American Carl Albert Anderson, the German Ronaldo Hermann Schmitz, the Spaniard Manuel Soto Serrano and the Italian Antonio Maria Morocco leave.
“The five members of the Commission of Cardinals will continue to be involved and will be joined by Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Croatia. These members are Cardinal Santos Abril y Castello (Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore), Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins (Archbishop of Toronto), Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Secretary of State), Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (Archbishop of Vienna) and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue)”.
