Pope Francis has issued new statutes for the clerics of St. Mary Major basilica in Rome, to ensure that the canons who minister there “may dedicate themselves, fully and with renewed vigor, to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment that pilgrims from all over the world seek.”
The Pontiff has also appointed Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, a Lithuanian native, as coadjutor archpriest of the basilica, with the right of succession. He will eventually replace Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, who has been archpriest of the basilica since 2016. Cardinal Rylko, who is 78, is due to retire in July 2025.