Lazzaro You Heung-sik, new prefect of the clergy

by INFOVATICANA | June 11, 2021

The Vatican today announced the appointment of South Korean Lazzaro You Heung-sik as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

Mystery unveiled: the one chosen to replace Cardinal Stella, 79, is Lazzaro You Heung-sik. Born in South Korea, You Heung-sik was until now the bishop of Daejeon, a city south of Seoul.

Thus ends a week full of rumors about the Congregation which takes care of the more than 400,000 priests in the world. On Monday, we anticipated the apostolic visit which was to be carried out, by order of Pope Francis, to the dicastery and we knew the name of the visitor, an Italian bishop.

Today we have doubts about the successor of Beniamino Stella, who has led the Congregation since 2013 and who, at 79, is the oldest cardinal prefect. His replacement is almost 70 years old and, in all likelihood, he will be created cardinal, with the new prefect of Divine Worship, the Englishman Arthur Roche, at the next consistory of cardinals, at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.

Lazzaro You Heung-sik was born in Nonsan, 200 kilometers south of Seoul, on November 17, 1951. After studying at the Lateran in Rome, he was ordained a priest in 1979. After having held various positions in the diocese of Daejeon, he was appointed coadjutor bishop of the diocese in June 2003, by John Paul II and bishop of the same diocese in 2005, in one of the last appointments of the Polish pope.

The Vatican has announced that Cardinal Stella will remain in office until the new prefect takes office.