Medjugorje: Leo XIV names Francesco Cavina apostolic visitor, succeeding Aldo Cavalli

Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Aldo Cavalli as Apostolic Visitor with a special character for the parish of Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has appointed Francesco Cavina, bishop emeritus of Carpi, in his place. The appointment is "for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis", meaning for as long as the Holy See sees fit. The Holy See Press Office announced it in its Bulletin on Saturday, 31 October.

Who is Francesco Cavina

Born in Faenza on 17 February 1955, Cavina has been a priest since 15 May 1980. Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Carpi on 14 November 2011; he was ordained a bishop on 22 January 2012. On 26 June 2019 Pope Francis accepted his resignation from the pastoral governance of the diocese.

Cavalli's mandate

Aldo Cavalli, born in Lecco on 18 October 1946, an apostolic nuncio who previously represented the Holy See in the Netherlands, was appointed visitor by Pope Francis on 27 November 2021. He succeeded Henryk Hoser, who had held the post since 2018 and died on 13 August 2021. Cavalli turned 80 on 18 October.

The visitor's role

The task of the Apostolic Visitor with a special character is exclusively pastoral: overseeing the life of the parish and the care of pilgrims. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's note "The Queen of Peace", dated 19 September 2024 and approved by Pope Francis, granted a nihil obstat to the spiritual experience of Medjugorje. In paragraph 39 it entrusts the visitor with discerning and authorising the publication of any future or unpublished messages, and asks that the Note be included as the introduction to every such publication.

Sources: Holy See Press Office, Bulletin of 31 October 2026 · Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, note "The Queen of Peace" · Diocese of Carpi, biography of Bishop Cavina