The Holy See has announced a new appointment in one of the papal basilicas in Rome. According to the official bulletin of the Press Office (“Rinunce e nomine”, January 15, 2026), Pope Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor Luis Manuel Alí Herrera—current secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors—as vicar of the cardinal archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
Appointment in a Key Papal Basilica
The appointment affects the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, one of the four major papal temples in Rome and a reference point for the liturgical and devotional life of the city.
The position of vicar of the cardinal archpriest involves close collaboration in the pastoral and organizational management of the basilica, under the authority of the archpriest.
Who is Luis Manuel Alí Herrera
The new vicar, Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, was born in Barranquilla (Colombia) in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1992 for the Archdiocese of Bogotá.
In 2015, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Bogotá (and titular bishop of Iubaltiana) and that same year received episcopal ordination.
With a profile linked to formation and accompaniment, institutional biographies highlight his status as a psychologist and his work at the Conciliar Seminary of Bogotá, where he directed the psychological orientation area and taught subjects related to pastoral psychology.
Already in Rome, he was a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and on March 15, 2024, he was appointed secretary of that body, dedicated to safeguarding and preventing abuses.