Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, is a trusted adviser of Pope Francis known for his writings on theology and ecclesiology and for his close links to homosexual communities for whom he has consistently lobbied.

Born on December 22, 1947, in Monteroni di Lecce, Italy, Semeraro received his initial formation at the Pontifical Regional Seminary “Pius XI” of Apulia and completed his theological studies at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he earned a licentiate and doctorate in sacred theology. He began his ministry teaching dogmatic theology and ecclesiology at various institutions.

Throughout his career, Semeraro has held several significant positions within the Catholic Church. He was appointed Bishop of Oria in 1998 and later transferred to the suburbicarian Church of Albano in 2004. In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as the Apostolic Administrator of the Exarchic Monastery and Territorial Abbacy of Saint Mary of Grottaferrata.

One of Semeraro’s notable achievements was his appointment as secretary of the Council of Cardinals in April 2013, tasked with aiding the Pope in the governance of the Universal Church and revising the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia.

Semeraro has participated in several important Church assemblies. In 2001, Pope John Paul II chose him to be special secretary of a Synod of Bishops on the role of the bishop, and he has participated in every Synod of Bishops under Pope Francis. He has also served on multiple Church commissions and committees, demonstrating his knowledge of various aspects of Church doctrine and governance.

In 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, choosing someone whom he could trust following the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Becciu over allegations of financial corruption. Francis elevated Semeraro to cardinal in November 2020.

The Italian cardinal is currently a member of several important dicasteries within the Vatican, including those for Oriental Churches, Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Communication, and the Doctrine of the Faith. He has also served as a consultant to Italy’s bishops’ conference, and as president of the board of the bishops’ newspaper, Avvenire.

Semeraro has made contributions to theological literature, having published numerous books, articles, and dictionary entries on ecclesiology, likely influencing Church thinking on various matters related to the nature and structure of the Church.

Cardinal Semeraro has significant ties to homosexual communities and has frequently expressed a position that seeks greater acceptance of homosexual persons within the Church. He has consistently promoted the LGBT cause within the Church.

In a 2016 interview, despite Church documents opposing such a position, Semeraro stated he had “no objection” to the legal recognition of civil same-sex unions, as long as they were not equated with marriage.

He has called for an “inclusive pastoral care” approach regarding LGBT people in the Church, and has supported studying homosexuality from anthropological, biblical and theological perspectives. He has consistently argued against discrimination against homosexual persons, and promoted rather “closeness, accompaniment, welcome.”

In 2018, Semeraro addressed Italy’s National Forum of LGBT Christians, calling for the Church to welcome LGBT Christians first as baptized Christians and siblings in faith, recognizing their dignity as children of God. In the same year, at an LGBT Christian forum, Semeraro praised parents who welcome and reassure their LGBT children as performing a “creative and regenerative act.”

In 2020, Semeraro wrote the preface of book titled “Possible Love: Homosexual Persons and Christian Morality,” by Father Aristide Fumagalli.

New Ways Ministry, an LGBT Catholic advocacy group, praised Semeraro’s appointment as cardinal in 2020, citing his positive record on LGBT issues. The Italian Catholic website The New Daily Compass said Semeraro had turned his diocese into the Italian capital of the Catholic-gay movement, annually hosting the Forum of Italian LGBT Christians.

The cardinal has not spoken publicly about Fiducia Supplicans, but his prior statements and the fact that he was appointed a consultor to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in June 2024 means he likely supports the declaration permitting non-liturgical blessings of same-sex couples.

He has stressed his opposition to same-sex “marriage,” reiterating Catholic teaching on marriage as an “indissoluble union of a man and a woman, open in itself to the transmission of life.”

Cardinal Semeraro is a strong proponent of synodality, seeing it as primarily a style and approach to the life of the Church, rather than just an event or structure.

Regarding women’s priesthood, Semeraro quotes Paul VI, stating that the Church is bound to the Scriptures and the male apostolic tradition, despite recognising the fundamental role of women in the Gospel.