Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi is a retired progressive-leaning senior Vatican official who led the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Born on July 30, 1943, in Villarboit, Vercelli, Italy, Versaldi was ordained priest on June 29, 1967, for the Diocese of Vercelli. His academic pursuits led him to Rome in 1972, where he earned a degree in psychology and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Upon returning to Vercelli in 1976, Versaldi established the diocesan Family Counseling centre and became its director. He also served as the president of the Piedmontese Federation of Christian Counsellors. In 1977, he was appointed pastor of the Parish of Larizza.

Versaldi’s expertise in canon law and psychology led to his appointment as a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1980. His judicial career in the Church began in 1985 when he was appointed as a tribunal clerk of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, eventually becoming a voting member in 1990 and a member of the Supreme Council in 2007.

On April 4, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Versaldi as Bishop of Alessandria. He was consecrated on May 26, 2007, and installed on June 10 of the same year[1]. His leadership abilities were further recognized when he was named President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See on September 21, 2011, with the rank of archbishop.

In February 2012 Pope Benedict XVI elevated Versaldi to the cardinalate. He participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

On March 31, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Versaldi as Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, a position he held until 2022 when the congregation was merged into the new Dicastery for Culture and Education. In this role, he oversaw Catholic schools and academic institutions worldwide, establishing guidelines and assisting diocesan bishops in supervising schools, training educators, and caring for students.

Throughout his career, Cardinal Versaldi has been a member of various Vatican congregations, including the Apostolic Signatura, the Congregation for Bishops, and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. On March 4, 2022, he was elevated to the rank of cardinal priest.

Cardinal Versaldi’s leadership has been characterized by a liberal approach to Catholic education, emphasizing inclusivity, dialogue, and the integration of faith, science, and reason.