Fernando Vérgez Alzaga
{{Short description|Spanish Catholic prelate}}
{{family name hatnote|Vérgez|Alzaga|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Cardinal
| honorific-prefix = His Eminence
| name = Fernando Vérgez Alzaga
| honorific-suffix = L.C.
| title = President Emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State
| image = Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, posesión Cobo-Roma.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Vérgez in 2024
| church = Catholic Church
| archdiocese =
| province =
| metropolis =
| diocese =
| see =
| appointed = 8 September 2021
| term =
| term_start = 1 October 2021
| term_end = 1 March 2025
| quashed =
| predecessor = Giuseppe Bertello
| successor = Raffaella Petrini
| opposed =
| other_post = Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani (2022–)
| ordination = 26 November 1969
| ordained_by = Ildebrando Antoniutti
| consecration = 15 November 2013
| consecrated_by = Pope Francis
| cardinal = 27 August 2022
| created_cardinal_by = Pope Francis
| rank = Cardinal-Deacon
| birth_name = Fernando Vérgez Alzaga
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|3|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Salamanca, Spanish State
| death_date =
| death_place =
| buried =
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| nationality =
| religion =
| residence =
| parents =
| education =
| previous_post = Director of the Internet Office of the Holy See (2004–08)
Director of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Vatican City State (2008–21)
Secretary General of the Governorate for the Vatican City State (2013–21)
Titular Bishop of Villamagna in Proconsulari (2013–21)
Titular Archbishop of Villamanga in Proconsulari (2021–22)
| alma_mater = Pontifical Gregorian University
| motto = Christus in vobis spes gloriae
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| coat_of_arms = 150px
| coat_of_arms_alt =
}}
{{Infobox cardinalstyles |image = Coat of arms of Fernando Vérgez Alzaga (cardinal).svg |
name=Fernando Vérgez Alzaga|
dipstyle=His Eminence |
offstyle=Your Eminence |
relstyle=Cardinal |
deathstyle= | }}
Fernando Vérgez Alzaga L.C. (born 1 March 1945) is a Spanish and Vatican prelate of the Catholic Church who served as President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from 1 October 2021 until 1 March 2025. He was Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State from 2013 to 2021, and before that, director of the Vatican City State Telecommunications Directorate.
He has worked in the Roman Curia since 1972. He was made a bishop in 2013 and given the personal title of archbishop in 2021.
Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 27 August 2022. He is the first member of the Legion of Christ to become a cardinal.{{cite news | access-date = 2 June 2022 | url = https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/cardinal-days-of-august-popes-pick-for-cardinals-wasnt-the-only-surprise/ | work = Catholic Spirit | date = 1 June 2022 | agency = Catholic News Service | title = Cardinal days of August: Pope's pick for cardinals wasn't the only surprise | first = Cindy | last = Wooden }} He is a member of the Council of Cardinals.
Since 1 March 2025, he can no longer vote in the next papal conclave because he has officially turned 80, as stated in the canon law of the Catholic Church.
Life
Vérgez was born in Salamanca on 1 March 1945. On 25 December 1965 he made a profession of faith with the clerical congregation of the Legion of Christ, and on 26 November 1969 was ordained as a priest by Cardinal Ildebrando Antoniutti. Vérgez studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning degrees in philosophy and theology, and then a diploma as an archivist from the Vatican Secret Archives.
In 1972 he entered the service of the Roman Curia as an assistant in the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. In April 1984 he moved to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He was appointed head of the ordinary section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and in June 2004 became head of the Internet Office of the Holy See. On 1 February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Vérgez as Telecommunications Director of the Vatican City, with the Poste Vaticane.{{cite press release | language = it | publisher = Holy See Press Office | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2008/02/01/0069/00164.html | title = NOMINA DEL DIRETTORE DELLA DIREZIONE DELLE TELECOMUNICAZIONI DELLO STATO DELLA CITTÀ DEL VATICANO | date = 1 February 2008 | access-date = 14 April 2020 }} On 30 August 2013, Pope Francis promoted him to be Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, succeeding Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca.{{cite press release | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/08/30/0541/01189.html | title = NOMINA DEL SEGRETARIO GENERALE DEL GOVERNATORATO DELLO STATO DELLA CITTÀ DEL VATICANO"] | date= 30 August 2013 | access-date = 14 April 2020 }}
On 15 October 2013 Pope Francis named Vérgez titular bishop of Villamagna in Proconsulari,{{cite press release | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/10/15/0664/01493.html | title = ELEVAZIONE ALLA DIGNITÀ EPISCOPALE DEL SEGRETARIO GENERALE DEL GOVERNATORATO DELLO STATO DELLA CITTÀ DEL VATICANO | date= 15 October 2013 | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = 14 April 2020 }} and on 15 November, in St Peter's Basilica, he was consecrated as a bishop by the pope, assisted by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and Bishop Brian Farrell.{{cite web | url = https://www.vatican.va/content/francescomobile/en/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20131115_omelia-ordinazione-episcopale-vergez.html | publisher = Libreria Editrice Vaticana | access-date = 3 October 2021 | date= 15 November 2013 | title = Episcopal Ordination of FR. FERNANDO VÉRGEZ ALZAGA, L.C. | via= L'Osservatore Romano }}
On 5 October 2020, Pope Francis appointed him to the five-member commission for reserved matters, a financial oversight board responsible for monitoring contracts that fall outside normal procedures and which for security reasons are not made public.{{cite news | first= Hannah | last = Brockhaus | access-date = 3 October 2021 | date = 5 October 2020 | url = https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/46088/pope-francis-fills-committee-to-monitor-internal-vatican-financial-decisions | work = Catholic News Agency | title = Pope Francis fills committee to monitor internal Vatican financial decisions }}
On 8 September 2021, Pope Francis appointed him to succeed Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello as President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, effective 1 October 2021. He was also given the personal title of archbishop.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office |language = it | access-date = 3 October 2021 | title =Rinunce e nomine, 08.09.2021 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/09/08/0545/01182.html | date= 8 September 2021}}
On 27 August 2022, Pope Francis made him a cardinal deacon,{{cite news | access-date = 29 August 2022 | date = 27 August 2022 | work = The Tablet | url = https://thetablet.org/pope-creates-20-new-cardinals-including-san-diego-archbishop/ | title = Pope Creates 20 New Cardinals, Including San Diego Bishop | first = Junno | last = Arocho Esteves }} assigning him the deaconry Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani.{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2022/documents/ns_lit_doc_20220827_titoli-diaconie-nuovi-cardinali_it.html|title=Assegnazione dei Titoli e delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali|date=27 August 2022|website=The Holy See|publisher=Ufficio delle Celebrazioni Liturgiche del Sommo Pontefice|language=it|trans-title=Assignment of Titles and Deaconries to the new Cardinals|access-date=29 August 2022|archive-url=|archive-date=}}
See also
References
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External links
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{{commonscat}}
- {{cite web|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_vergezalzaga_.html| title=Vérgez Alzaga Card. Fernando, L.C.|website=Holy See Press Office|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828005206/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_vergezalzaga_.html|archive-date=28 August 2022|url-status=live}}
- {{cite web | url = https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bveralz.html | website = Catholic Hierarchy | title = Archbishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, L.C. }}
{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef|before=Giuseppe Sciacca}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary-General of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State|years=30 August 2013 – 30 September 2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Raffaella Petrini}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef|before=Giuseppe Bertello}}
{{s-ttl|title= President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State
President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State|years=1 October 2021 – 1 March 2025}}
{{s-aft|after=Raffaella Petrini}}
{{s-end}}
{{College of Cardinals}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vérgez Alzaga Fernando}}
Category:Spanish Roman Catholic titular archbishops
Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
Category:Legionaries of Christ
Category:People from Salamanca
Category:Officials of the Roman Curia
Category:21st-century Spanish cardinals
Category:Cardinals created by Pope Francis
Category:Presidents of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State