On June 30, Leo XIV appointed Bishop Marco Mellino as Secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. Until now, Mellino was the deputy secretary of the same Dicastery. He was one of the principal canon-law officials of Francis' Curial reform.
Born in 1966 in Canale (Piedmont), Mellino was ordained a priest in 1991 and earned his licentiate (1999) and doctorate (2000) in canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University.
Defending Amoris Laetitia
In January 2018, Mellino defended the controversial Chapter VIII of Amoris laetitia about giving Communion to adulterers in an article entitled 'La comunione ad alcuni fedeli in situazione irregolare' (Communion for some members of the faithful in an irregular situation). Mellino belongs to the same canon-law milieu as Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, the principal Vatican defender of Amoris laetitia.
In October 2018, Francis appointed Mellino as Bishop and Secretary of the Council of Cardinals (the "C9").
Creating a "Synodal Church"
Monsignor Mellino became one of the principal officials in drafting the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium.
Presenting the constitution in March 2022, he said it was "consistent with the principle that 'a synodal Church is a Church of listening.'"
"Healthy Decentralization" by Empowering Bishops’ Conferences
On bishops' conferences, Mellino stated that they are "not considered intermediate hierarchical structures, but rather bodies of subsidiarity".
He wanted “a healthy decentralization" by "giving greater value to the Episcopal Conferences".
Synodal Church: Governance NOT from Holy Orders
Furthermore, Monsignor Mellino defended the constitution's provision allowing women to head Vatican dicasteries.
"The possible appointment of a lay member of the faithful to head a dicastery depends on the particular competence of the dicastery."
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