VATICAN (SE): On November 7, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Erwin Jose Balagapo, a Filipino priest, as the new undersecretary of the Section of Evangelisation of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation, CBCP News reported.
This is a promotion for Monsignor Balagapo who had been heading the office in the section responsible for “the first evangelisation and new particular churches” since July 2023.
Currently, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle is pro-prefect of the section.
Pope Francis oversees the dicastery, which is comprised of two sections. The other section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelisation in the World, is led by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
The dicastery was established in 2022 by the apostolic constitution, Praedicate Evangelium [Preach the Gospel], as part of the reform of the Roman Curia, replacing the former Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, also known as “Propaganda Fide.”
The 53-year-old Monsignor Balagapo comes from Sulat, in Eastern Samar province.
Ordained a priest in 1996 for the Archdiocese of Palo, he held various positions, including professor of canon law, head of ongoing clergy formation, judicial vicar, and chancellor.
In Rome, he pursued his academic journey, earning a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and a Licentiate in Moral Theology from the former Pontifical John Paul II Institute [now the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Science].
His expertise in canon law led him to a position at the Vatican dicastery where he has worked since 2015 after completing his advanced studies in Rome.
