In a significant appointment for the universal Church, Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia, as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Vatican office responsible for interpreting and safeguarding canon law. The appointment, announced on March 25, also grants him the personal title of archbishop.
Born on October 7, 1966, in Sydney to Italian immigrant parents, Archbishop Randazzo was ordained a priest in 1991 after studies in Brisbane. He later pursued canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, preparing him for service at the heart of the Church’s legal mission.
From 2004 to 2008, he served at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, contributing to the Church’s disciplinary responsibilities. He later served as rector of Holy Spirit Seminary, auxiliary bishop of Sydney, and since 2019 as bishop of Broken Bay, also contributing to the Australian bishops’ conference in canonical matters.
At 59, he succeeds Archbishop Filippo Iannone, taking on a key role in guiding the interpretation of Church law across the global Catholic community. In related appointments, the Vatican also named new members to key ecclesial bodies, reflecting the Holy Father’s continued effort to strengthen leadership within the Church.
In this new mission, Archbishop Randazzo’s life reflects a faithful commitment to truth, justice, and service—reminding the Church that its laws exist to uphold unity and guide the People of God in holiness.