Cardinal Fabio Baggio, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, is an Italian missionary and musician who has dedicated himself to the twin concerns of migration and ecology — two priorities which he sees as closely connected.

Born on January 15, 1965, in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, he enrolled at a Scalabrian Missionaries’ minor seminary at the age of eleven and made his perpetual profession in 1991. He was ordained priest in 1992. “There was a good atmosphere of brotherhood” in the seminary he recalls. “I loved service to others and had always been attracted by solidarity with the less fortunate. I came from a family that had suffered to survive, and this generated in me a sense of responsibility.”

Baggio has a bachelor’s degree in theology and a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He says his theological training was influenced by theologians Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger, Jean Gallo, and Luis Ladaria Ferrer, as well as by thinkers in the “theology of migration.”

The bulk of Cardinal Baggio’s career has been dedicated to migrants and refugees. He has served in various roles across different countries, showcasing his commitment to this cause.

In Chile in the 1990s, he worked as a consultant on migration with the Chilean Bishops Conference. Later, he became the Director of the Buenos Aires Archdiocese’s Department of Migration, during which time he collaborated with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and formed a lasting friendship.

Baggio has taught at several universities in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. He directed the Scalabrini Migration Center in Quezon City, Philippines, and was responsible for the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal from 2002 to 2010. In 2010, he was appointed director of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) in Rome, part of the Pontifical Urbanian University. Since 2013, he has been its dean and a full professor.

Cardinal Baggio’s expertise in migration issues led to his appointment in the Vatican. In January 2017, he began serving as co-undersecretary of the migrants and refugees section of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. In April 2022, he was appointed undersecretary of the entire dicastery.

In 2021, he was named a member of the Vatican’s COVID-19 commission that controversially promoted the idea that taking the anti-covid jabs was an “act of love.”

In 2023, Cardinal Baggio’s responsibilities expanded further when he was chosen to implement the Vatican’s ecological project, the Borgo Laudato Si’, an ecologically focused farming laboratory and training center based in Castel Gandolfo. Its aim is to “promote ecological conversion,” Baggio has said, and to “transition to a circular, generative economy.”

The cardinal sees migration and ecology as linked. He said in 2024: “We can’t ignore ecology, because the areas most affected by new atmospheric phenomena, creating desertification, water shortages, etc., are the areas from which even more migrants will come in the future.”

Pope Francis elevated Baggio to cardinal on December 7, 2024, having also bestowed on him the personal title of archbishop on October 31, 2024. Baggio’s episcopal consecration is scheduled for January 11, 2025. He is expected to replace Cardinal Michael Czerny, who will retire soon on age grounds, as head of the dicastery.

Beyond his religious and humanitarian work, Cardinal Baggio is also a musician and composer. He has composed theatrical and electro-pop Christian songs, drawing inspiration from Italian singers of the 70s and 80s, as well as English-language songwriters. His musical tastes range from pop to classical, with favorites including Bach, Beethoven, and Vivaldi.

“Music has always accompanied me in my missions,” he says. “Since 2010, however, I’ve had to put the guitar on hold. I continue to listen to a variety of very eclectic genres, and I always say that there will come a time when I may start composing again.”

From his international experience, Cardinal Baggio likely speaks Italian (his native language), English, and Spanish.