The Vatican on Monday, November 10, 2025, announced the appointment of Edward Daleng, an Augustinian Priest and a Nigerian, as the new vice-regent of the prefecture of the papal household. The Office is among the Vatican’s oldest and most crucial offices, responsible for managing the pope’s activities and ensuring they are conducted with order, dignity, and adherence to tradition.
Daleng is expected to work in synergy with the regent, who is also an archbishop, Leonardo Sapienza, to coordinate Pope Leo XIV’s private and public engagements, including meetings with heads of state, diplomats, and religious leaders.
He will also take part in managing official visits and papal ceremonies, as well as supervising the arrangement of the papal residences and the logistics of the Pope’s daily activities.
Although the position of vice regent is not officially recognized in the Constitution of the Catholic Church, it is assumed that the new role would serve as a means of gradually acclimatizing to the complex workings of the Vatican household.
Daleng was born on April 4, 1977, in Yitla’ar, Kwalla, Plateau State, and ordained a priest on September 10, 2005. He obtained a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in 2012.
The newly appointed vice-regent formerly served as general counsellor and procurator general of the Order of Saint Augustine in Rome, a position that required him to liaise between Augustinian provinces worldwide and represent the Order before the Holy See.
In an interview with Vatican media shortly after Leo’s election as pope, Daleng spoke highly of the supreme pontiff.
“He has Africa in his heart,” Daleng said.
“He has visited all our African missions several times and has come to my country, Nigeria, on at least ten occasions, including in 2016, when we celebrated for the first time the intermediate General Chapter.”
As part of his responsibilities as an Augustinian leader, Leo visited Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, where he met with members of the order and the Catholic community.
It was the first time an Augustinian priest would visit the country.