Pope Leo XIV has appointed two new high-ranking officials in the Secretariat of State, thereby consolidating his diplomatic team without introducing drastic changes to the structure inherited from the previous pontificate. The appointees come from Nigeria and Romania, which underscores the international—and increasingly less European—dimension of the personnel holding positions of responsibility in the Vatican.
Mons. Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, Advisor for General Affairs
The Holy Father has appointed Mons. Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo as Advisor for General Affairs, until now Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
According to the Holy See Bulletin, Mons. Ekpo was born in Umudike (Nigeria) on September 24, 1981. He was ordained a priest on July 30, 2011, and incardinated in the Diocese of Umuahia. He holds a degree in Systematic Theology and Canon Law.
He entered the service of the Holy See on September 5, 2016, as an official of the Section for General Affairs. In April 2023, he was appointed Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
Among the languages he masters are Igbo, English, Italian, and French, which strengthens his international profile in a position that requires constant interaction with internal and external organizations.
Mons. Mihăiţă Blaj, Undersecretary for Relations with States
The Pope has also appointed Mons. Mihăiţă Blaj as Undersecretary of the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations, a key area of pontifical diplomacy.
Mons. Blaj was born in Gherăeşti (Romania) on October 7, 1978, and was ordained a priest on June 29, 2004, for the Diocese of Iaşi. He holds a degree in Theology and has been part of the Holy See’s diplomatic service since 2012.
His diplomatic career includes postings in Ecuador, Georgia, and Chad, before being transferred to the Section for Relations with States on January 4, 2022. The Vatican reports that he speaks Italian, French, English, Spanish, and German, a linguistic profile particularly useful for a multilateral position.
With this appointment, he becomes one of the Romanians with the greatest responsibility within the Vatican diplomatic corps.
Discreet Appointments and Structural Continuity
The chosen profiles confirm that Leo XIV is renewing his team gradually, without touching for now the positions of greatest political or doctrinal weight. The changes are concentrated at technical and operational levels, essential for the daily functioning of the Secretariat of State but without direct impact on the general orientation of the pontificate.
In this sense, the Vatican administration remains—in its backbone—the one configured during the previous pontificate, awaiting more significant moves that define the personal imprint of Leo XIV.