Pope Leo has appointed a Nigerian priest Rev. Fr. Anthony Daleng, as Vice Regent of the Papal Household, marking another milestone for the Nigerian Church on the global stage.

Fr. Daleng will assist Archbishop Leonardo Sapienza, the current Regent, in coordinating papal audiences and managing the logistics surrounding Pope Leo’s daily schedule and official functions.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household oversees the Pope’s public and private engagements, audiences with heads of state, diplomats and church leaders, as well as the administration of the Apostolic Palace.

Though the role of Vice Regent is not formally defined in Praedicate Evangelium — the apostolic constitution governing the Roman Curia — Vatican observers say the appointment reflects Pope Leo’s effort to inject fresh leadership and widen global representation within the Vatican.

Aged 48, Fr. Daleng, from Yitla’ar, Kwalla, Plateau State, was ordained a priest in 2005. He previously served as General Counsellor and Procurator General of the Order of Saint Augustine in Rome and holds a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Alphonsian Academy.

Speaking to Vatican Media, Fr. Daleng praised Pope Leo’s long-standing connection with Africa, saying, “He has Africa in his heart. He has visited our African missions several times and has come to Nigeria on at least ten occasions.”
Pope Leo, himself an Augustinian, last visited Nigeria in 2016 during the Order’s Intermediate General Chapter, further deepening ties between the Vatican and Nigeria’s growing Catholic community.