VATICAN - CARDINAL PREFECTS OF PROPAGANDA FIDE

Vatican City (Fides Service) – Propaganda Fide College, (today the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples) established in 1622 has had 31 Cardinal Prefects 2003, not counting “Vice-Prefects” e “Pro-Prefects”. The present Prefect Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe (appointed 9 April 2001) is the 32nd.
Antonio Maria Sauli (14 January 1622-12 November 1622) is considered the first prefect. Although appointed not by the Supreme Pontiff, Sauli was chosen by his colleagues, as dean of the commission appointed by Gregory XV, to sign the letters which laid the basis for the future Congregation Propaganda Fide. This is seen also in the letter appointing his successor Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi (12 November 1622-18 November 1632).

Prefects of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples in the 20th century

Antonio Giovanni Benedetto Gotti 29 July 1902 – 19 March 1916 (Italian).
Domenico Serafin 24 March 1916-5 March 1918 (Italian)
Willem Marinus van Rossum 12 March 1918-30 August 1932 (Dutch)
Pietro Fumasoni-Biondi 16 March 1933-12 July 1960 (Italian)
Grigor Petros Agagianian 18 July 1960-19 October 1970 (Armenian)
Agnelo Rossi 20 October 1970-24 April 1984 (Brazilian)
(Pro-Prefect for 12 months Archbishop Dermot Ryan 1984 – 1985 (Irish)
Jozef Tomko 24 April 1985-9 April 2001 (Slovak)
Crescenzio Sepe 9 April 2001 – (Italian)
(S.L.) (Fides Service 29/9/2003; lines 24 – words 213)