Korean Bishop to Head Vatican Congregation for Clergy

Pope Francis appointed the South Korean bishop, Lazzaro You Heung-sik, as the new prefect of the Vatican’s congregation for the clergy, the Vatican said on Friday.

Heung-sik, 69, who currently head the diocese of Daejeon in central South Korea, became the first South Korean to be appointed to a secretary position.

The congregation was responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders.

It was known for overseeing more than 400,000 Catholic priests around the world.

Born in central city of Nonsan in 1951, Heung-sik graduated from Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest in 1979 and bishop in 2003.

Bishop Heung-sik was known as one of a few Korean priests who have close communications with Pope Francis.

They became acquainted during the Pope’s visit to South Korea in 2014.