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(CNN) - Pope Francis nominated the Spanish Jesuit priest Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves as the new finance minister of the Vatican, the Vatican announced Thursday.
The charge was previously held by Australian Cardinal George Pell and has been vacant since February 2019. Cardinal Pell is currently in a Melbourne jail, convicted of child sexual abuse. Pell awaits a final appeal to be heard by the High Court of Australia.
- Cardinal George Pell, sentenced to six years in prison for child sexual abuse
Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves was appointed as prefect of the Vatican Secretariat of Economy and began his duties in January 2020. (Credit: Compañía de Jesús).
Father Guerrero Alves, 60, has no previous experience as a Vatican official. Since 2017, he has worked as a general lawyer at the headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome and as a general delegate supervising the Jesuit priests who live and work in Rome.
"Obviously, I am a person who comes from outside the Vatican Curia and enters a new world," Guerrero told Vatican News. "I will need some time for adaptation and learning, to get to know and familiarize myself with people, with procedures, with relationships with other departments, etc.," he said.
- The Vatican lamented verdict on Cardinal Pell and promises to clear the Church of sexual abuse
The Ministry of Economy, established by Pope Francis in 2014, is responsible for all the economic activity of the Holy See. It is considered the second most powerful office in the Vatican, after the Secretary of State.
Father Guerrero will assume his position, formally known as Prefect of the Ministry of Economy, in January 2020.
George PellPapa Francisco