Nigerian Rev. Father appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Vice Regent in the Vatican

Nigerian Rev. Father appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Vice Regent in the Vatican

Nigerian priest Rev. Fr. Edward Daniang Daleng, OSA, has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the Vice Regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household.

The Vatican office he will serve in is responsible for organizing papal audiences, ceremonies, and official events. The Prefecture also oversees papal liturgies, spiritual retreats for the Holy Father, meetings of the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia, along with planning for papal visits within Rome and across Italy.

Fr. Daniang, a member of the Order of St. Augustine and a close associate of Pope Leo, previously served as General Councilor and most recently as Procurator General of the order, a role in which he managed its official relations with the Holy See.

Born on April 4, 1977, in Yitla’ar, Kwalla, Plateau State, Nigeria, he joined the Augustinian order in 2001, professed solemn vows in 2004, and was ordained a priest in 2005. He holds a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome, where his dissertation focused on the dignity and care of patients with terminal illnesses.

Fr. Daniang first met Pope Leo in 2001, when the then–Father Robert Prevost visited Nigeria as Prior General of the Augustinians. Their friendship continued after Daniang moved to Rome in 2002 and strengthened over the years.

Following Pope Leo’s election, Daniang described him as “a humble and simple man with deep affection for Africa,” recalling that as Prior General, “he visited Nigeria at least ten times.”