Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, as his representative for the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thomas Aquinas.
In a letter announcing the appointment—written in Latin, a rarity for recent papal messages—the Pontiff said of St. Thomas: “Filled with admirable learning, he wrote many works and taught innumerable things, and was very well received in the philosophical and theological disciplines.”
The 700th anniversary celebrations will be held July 18 at the Abbey of Fossanova in Priverno, Italy.