The Vatican announced today the appointment of the 72-year-old prelate.
Among its duties, the dicastery helps oversee the appointments of bishops. It conducts background investigations and makes recommendations to the Holy Father.
Justin Rigali was ordained a priest in Los Angeles in 1961.
He studied and worked in Rome for more than 30 years. Most notably, he was president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Vatican school for international diplomacy, from 1985 to 1989, and secretary of the Congregation for Bishops from 1989 to 1994.
He was named the archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1994 to 2003, then moved to the same post in Philadelphia in 2003 and elevated to cardinal that same year.
He is a member of the Vox Clara Committee, which oversees the translation of Latin liturgical texts into English, and the chair of the U.S. bishops' conference Committee on Pro-life Activities.
ZE07092603 - 2007-09-26