ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV made his first big Vatican appointment Friday, naming an Italian legal expert to replace him as head of the Holy See’s office that vets bishop nominations around the world.
Leo named Archbishop Filippo Iannone as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, had headed the important Vatican office for two years until his election as pope in May.
Iannone, 67, is currently the Holy See’s top legislator, as head of the Vatican’s legal office. His transfer, thus, creates another important position Leo will have to fill.
That could be part of the thinking behind the appointment: Leo, who is himself a canon lawyer, may have ideas of reforms for the church's legal system, and may want to put in place someone of his own choosing who can execute that vision.
Leo also knows that, ultimately, decisions about nominations of bishops rests solely with the pope. In announcing Iannone's transfer, Leo also confirmed the existing No. 2 and 3 official in the Dicastery of Bishops, essentially leaving in place the bureaucratic structure that he had in place when he was prefect.
The appointment also suggests that Leo knows well that the bishops office has a significant legal caseload. Among other things, it evaluates complaints against bishops of abuse or negligence in handling cases of abusive clergy.
After the death of Pope Francis, all Vatican prefects technically lost their jobs. Leo confirmed them provisionally, and there are several positions that are due to be vacated soon with prefects near or at normal retirement age.
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FILE -Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, attends an interview with the Associated Press at the Vatican press room, March 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
BURGAS, Bulgaria (AP) — Paul Magnier claimed the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia after the French rider won a sprint finish, while race favorite Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the pack on Friday.
Magnier, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step, will wear the pink shirt for Stage 2 after his first win at a three-week Grand Tour.
The Giro’s opening three stages are being held in Bulgaria. The opening stage was a flat 147-kilometer (91-mile) course from Nessebar to Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Magnier finished the stage in 3 hours, 21 minutes, edging Tobias Lund Andresen at the finish line.
Several riders went down in a crash when a rider clipped a temporary barrier during the run-in over the final kilometer. It appears all the riders who fell managed to get up and finish the stage.
Vingegaard is aiming to complete the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tours. The Danish leader of Jumbo Visma team won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 and the Spanish Vuelta last year. This year, he won the Paris-Nice and Volta de Catalonia weeklong races in March.
Tadej Pogačar, cycling's top talent, is skipping the Giro to focus on adding to his four Tour titles in July.
Saturday's stage is a hilly 221-kilometer ride from Burgas to Tarnovo.
The Giro finishes in Rome on May 31.
AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
France's Paul Magnier celebrates winning stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
