Pope names Benjamín Estévez de Cominges as Secretary of Economy Secretariat

By Vatican News

On Thursday, 1 February, two years after his appointment as Delegate for the Administration of Propaganda Fide (now the Second Section of the Dicastery for Evangelization), Benjamín Estévez de Cominges has been appointed as the number two at the Secretariat for the Economy.

Born in Vigo (Spain) in 1974, married, and the father of three children, Mr. Estévez de Cominges is a senior telecommunications engineer with degrees in Economics and Business Administration. Additionally, he holds a Master's in Management Sciences from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

"These have been almost two very special and intense years at the helm of the administration of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples initially, and of the Second Section of the Dicastery for Evangelization after the publication of the new Constitution," said Mr. Estévez de Cominges.

"Coming from a Church organization before arriving in the Holy See has undoubtedly been of great help, although I must confess that the complexity of the Vatican is much greater than I expected, and, while this makes it much more interesting, it requires an adaptation period that I must humbly say I am not sure if I have overcome yet."

Mr. Estévez de Cominges began his professional career in the private sector as a strategy consultant in the field of telecommunications at Andersen Consulting (later renamed Accenture). He later directed a startup dedicated to electronic commerce between businesses.

After his studies at MIT, he served as Commercial and Marketing Director of the Lar Group, one of the leading Spanish real estate developers, with Morgan Stanley as a reference investor.

In 2013, he started his professional relationship with the Church, being appointed General Director for Economic Affairs at the Pontifical University Comillas - ICAI - ICADE, one of the most prestigious in Spain.

The exceptional financial performance of the University during his nearly 10-year term led to his appointment as Delegate for the Administration of Propaganda Fide in December 2021, a position he held from March 2022.

"I have had the opportunity to know and work closely with Benjamín since his appointment as Delegate at Propaganda Fide, when I held the same position as Secretary General of the Secretariat for the Economy," explains Maximino Caballero, now Prefect of the Secretariat. "During this period, I witnessed his dedication, professionalism, and precision in management, as well as his collaborative and conciliatory character with other entities and Dicasteries."

In order to ensure a smooth transition that allows for the continuation of ongoing projects, Mr. Estévez de Cominges will temporarily combine his new position with his old one.

"When the Prefect of the Secretariat proposed this new assignment to me some months ago," said the new Secretary, "I understood its importance, but at the same time, I expressed my concern about leaving a Dicastery immersed in a profound process of change that is beginning to bear fruit. I am very grateful to the Prefect of the Secretariat for offering me this opportunity and to His Eminence Cardinal Tagle for his generosity in allowing me to leave.”

“I believe that understanding the reality and functioning of a Dicastery will be very useful for my new responsibility, allowing me to serve well at the Secretariat for the Economy. I know the responsibility is great, and I hope to live up to this new assignment with the help of God and the support of my family."