Pope Names Two New Undersecretaries to Dicastery
Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico and Professor Claudia Leal Luna as undersecretaries of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in People
Pope Leo XIV named Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico, SJ, and Professor Claudia Leal Luna as undersecretaries of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The appointments were made on November 5.
Why it matters
The appointments fill senior leadership roles in a Vatican office that oversees the Church's work on human development, migration, and social issues. Both appointees bring academic and pastoral experience in areas tied to the Dicastery's mandate.
The Dicastery gains two undersecretaries in a single appointment round. Fr. Chico served as regional coordinator for Africa from 2020 to 2022 before heading the Listening and Dialogue Section from 2022 to 2025.
The players
Pope Leo XIV
The current head of the Catholic Church, who made the appointments.
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
A Vatican department in Rome that addresses human development, migration, and social issues.
Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico
A Jesuit priest from Angola who has served at the Dicastery since 2020 and specializes in migration and development.
Claudia Leal Luna
A Chilean professor who is a consultor of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the International Theological Commission.
The details
Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico, a Jesuit priest born in Lobito, Angola, entered the Society of Jesus in 2002 and was ordained in 2014. He has served at the Dicastery since 2020 and earned degrees in social ethics and contemporary international migration and development cooperation. Professor Claudia Leal Luna, born in 1977, has been a full professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences since 2022.
Timeline
November 5: Pope Leo XIV announces the appointments.
2020: Fr. Chico begins serving at the Dicastery.
2022: Professor Leal Luna becomes a full professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute.
Market Landscape
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, established to consolidate Vatican social-justice offices, continues to shape Church engagement on migration and development. These appointments add senior academic and pastoral expertise to that work.
For readers following the Catholic Church, these appointments signal the Dicastery's direction on migration and human development. The changes do not alter services or policies available to the public directly.
The takeaway
Leadership appointments at Vatican offices can signal shifts in priorities across global Church policy. Watching who fills these roles offers insight into the institution's future focus.
Further reading
Explore more People profiles to see how leadership appointments shape major institutions.
