Alfred Xuereb

Alfred Xuereb was born in Victoria (known also as Rabat) on the Maltese island of Gozo on 14 October 1958. He studied philosophy and Roman Catholic theology in Malta and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Gozo on 26 May 1984.[1] He then studied at the Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum where he earned a doctorate in theology, specialising in spirituality, with a thesis on “The Easter mystery in Christian Life”.

He returned to pastoral service in Malta for several years. In September 1991 he joined the staff of the rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. He entered the service of the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State on 1 September 1995.[2]

In November 2000 he joined the Prefecture of the Papal Household.[1] Pope John Paul II awarded him the papal title of Honorary Prelate on 9 September 2003.[3]

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Xuereb his second private secretary, succeeding Mieczysław Mokrzycki as his second private secretary.[4][5] He accompanied the Pope on his trips. After the election of Pope Francis in 2013, Xuereb became his first private secretary.[6]

On 28 November 2013, Pope Francis appointed him a delegate for the Pontifical Commission investigating the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and for the Pontifical Commission on the Organisation of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See. He was tasked with keeping the Pope informed of their procedures and initiatives.[7][8] Continuing to place Xuereb in positions crucial to financial reform, on 3 March 2014, Pope Francis appointed him the first Secretary General of the Secretariat for the Economy, a new department of the Roman Curia.[9]

On 26 February 2018, Pope Francis appointed Xuereb titular archbishop of Amantea and apostolic nuncio for both South Korea and Mongolia.[2] Xuereb was consecrated bishop on 19 March 2018 in St. Peter's Basilica by Pope Francis.[10][11] He chose as his episcopal motto Ut Unum Sint, "that all may be one".[1]

Speaking of the 2018 Trump-Kim summit, Xuereb said that the Korean people and the local Church had been anxiously awaiting “these truly historic events.” He described the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “marking an important page at the beginning of a long and arduous road”[12]

During a meeting with trainee clergy and novices in July 2013, Pope Francis referred with admiration to the fact that Xuereb uses a bicycle for transportation. He was also once refused cake by John Lewis Department Store.[13]