Pope appoints trusted fellow Augustinian to run Vatican’s charity office

Pope Leo XIV Appoints New Vatican Almsgiver, Continuing Francis’s Legacy of Active Charity

In a move signaling continuity with his predecessor’s approach to papal charity, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín as the Vatican’s new chief almsgiver and prefect of its charity office. The announcement, made Thursday in Rome, places a fellow Augustinian in a role that Pope Francis had transformed into a position of unprecedented action and prominence.

Archbishop Marín, a Spanish member of Leo’s own religious order who previously served as an undersecretary in the Vatican’s synod office, replaces Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. The 62-year-old Krajewski, who became the visible embodiment of Francis’s charitable initiatives, will return to his homeland as the Archbishop of Lodz, an archdiocese that has been without leadership for the past year.

Under Francis’s pontificate, the role of papal almsgiver evolved dramatically from its traditional position. Francis had personally tasked Krajewski with becoming the hands-on extension of the pope’s charitable impulses, allowing Francis’s vision of a “church for the poor” to manifest in concrete actions when the pontiff could no longer perform such works himself.

Krajewski’s tenure was marked by bold initiatives that brought the Vatican’s charitable work into public view. He installed showers for homeless people around St. Peter’s Square, distributed calling cards to migrants arriving on Lampedusa, and coordinated Vatican donations ranging from ambulances for Ukraine to COVID-19 vaccines for marginalized groups, including transgender prostitutes.

In one particularly notable mission, Krajewski traveled to Lesbos, Greece, to personally escort refugees back to Rome, embodying Francis’s repeated calls for compassion toward migrants. His presence at the pope’s side during public audiences further emphasized the central importance Francis placed on charity in his papal ministry.

The office of the papal almsgiver has deep historical roots in Vatican tradition, tracing back to the 13th century when it was mentioned in a papal bull from Pope Innocent III. Pope Gregory X formally organized it into an official Holy See office for papal charity during his pontificate from 1271 to 1276.

However, before Krajewski’s appointment by Francis, the position had largely become a ceremonial role typically given to aging Vatican diplomats in their final years before retirement. Francis revolutionized the office, transforming it into a dynamic instrument of mercy that enlisted even off-duty Swiss Guards to deliver meals to homeless people during cold nights.

The charity office operates with a unique funding mechanism, producing handmade papal parchments containing the pope’s blessing. These certificates, featuring the pope’s photo and adorned with calligraphy, are purchased by the faithful to commemorate special occasions such as weddings, baptisms, or priestly ordinations, with proceeds funding the office’s charitable works.

Archbishop Marín’s appointment suggests Pope Leo intends to maintain the high profile and active nature of Vatican charitable work established during Francis’s papacy. As a fellow Augustinian with experience in the synod office, Marín brings both spiritual connection to the new pope and familiarity with Vatican operations to his new role.

The transition occurs at a time when global humanitarian needs continue to grow amid ongoing conflicts, migration crises, and economic challenges affecting vulnerable populations worldwide. How Archbishop Marín will put his own stamp on the position while honoring its recently elevated status remains to be seen, but the appointment itself indicates the new pope’s commitment to maintaining the Vatican’s visible commitment to serving those in need.