Pope appoints Bishop Mario Grech as General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops

By Vatican News

The Holy See Press Office noon-day bulletin on Wednesday contained the news that Pope Francis accepted on Tuesday the resignation of Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri from his position as the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

The same bulletin announced that the Pope is appointing Bishop Mario Grech, Bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Gozo in Malta, as his successor.

Bishop Mario Grech served as the Bishop of Gozo, Malta, and on 2 October 2019, Pope Francis appointed him as Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

Bishop Grech was born in Qala, Malta in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1984. 

Since his appointment as Pro-Secretary General, Bishop Grech has worked side by side with Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri. In this way, he has been gaining knowledge of the Synod of Bishop, how it functions, acquiring an understanding of processes its competencies. 

In that role, he participated in the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon in October 2019.

This synodal experience of having "walked side by side" with his predecessor has thus assured continuity within the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.