By Melbourne Catholic 27 June 2026
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Peter A Comensoli to the Dicastery for Evangelisation, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelisation in the World. The appointment was announced on Saturday 27 June. ‘I thank the Holy Father for the trust he has placed in me with this appointment, and I commit to working diligently for the evangelising mission of the Church,’ said Archbishop Comensoli.
According to its constitution, the dicastery ‘serves the work of evangelisation, so that Christ, the light of the nations, may be known and witnessed to by word and deed, and the Church, his mystical Body, may be built up.’
The Dicastery for Evangelisation is composed of two sections: the Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelisation in the World and the Section for the First Evangelisation and New Particular Churches. It is presided over directly by the Roman pontiff, with each section directed in his name and by a pro-prefect.
The Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelisation in the World focuses in particular on the effective proclamation of the Gospel, ‘discerning suitable ways, means and language to carry it out’ (Art. 55, §1). In addition, the section ‘studies and promotes the renewal that the Gospel brings in its encounter with the various cultures and with all matters concerning the promotion of human dignity and religious freedom’ (Art. 57, §2).
‘Since every member of the people of God, by virtue of baptism, is a missionary disciple of the Gospel, the Section supports the growth of this awareness and responsibility, so that each individual may effectively cooperate in missionary work in his or her daily life, through prayer, witness and works. (Art. 59, §1).
Archbishop Comensoli was appointed a member of the dicastery together with Archbishop Filippo Iannone O Carm (Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops) and Archbishop Èric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, France.
The appointment comes just a day after the Archbishop addressed a group of more than 200 parish and lay ecclesial leaders at the Proclaim26 conference held in Melbourne.
Speaking from Rome, Archbishop Comensoli reflected on the journey of discipleship as illustrated in the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–42). ‘It is of someone who has come to know Jesus Christ and, in knowing Jesus Christ, has come to know herself,’ he said. ‘[She] receives forgiveness and healing, then goes and gives that to others. That is a genuine story of discipleship.’
The gift of discipleship begins by ‘being open and allowing Jesus to enter into our lives for him to give us the water we need and then, even in our own difficulties and inadequacies … being a disciple to others.’
In accepting his new appointment, Archbishop Comensoli asked the community to keep him in their prayers. ‘I humbly ask for your prayers for this appointment. And may each of us renew our commitment to share the hope of the Gospel with all we meet.’
This article obtained from Melbourne Catholic has been shared at EWTN Australia.
