Pope Leo XIV has appointed Nigerian priest Edward Daniang Daleng as the vice regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, making him the second-in-command in the Vatican office responsible for coordinating audiences with the Pope.
The prefecture organises papal ceremonies, the Pope’s spiritual retreats, meetings of the College of Cardinals and Roman Curia, and plans the Pope’s visits outside the Apostolic Palace in Rome and elsewhere in Italy.
Daniang previously served as a general councillor and, most recently, as procurator general of the Order of St. Augustine, the religious order of Pope Leo. In that capacity, he handled the order’s dealings with the Holy See.
He was ordained in 2005 and earned a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome in 2012, with a focus on “Respect for the Dignity and Care of Patients with Incurable and Terminal Illnesses.”
Daniang first encountered Pope Leo in 2001 when Father Robert Prevost, then prior general of the Augustinians, visited Nigeria.
After relocating to Rome in 2002, Daniang developed a close relationship with Prevost. Reflecting on his experiences, Daniang described Pope Leo’s character as marked by “simplicity and humility,” traits he admired deeply.
