Pope Leo XIV appoints seven new Apostolic Signatura members, including the tribunal’s first non-bishops, signaling a new era.
Newsroom (28/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV has appointed seven new members to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, introducing a significant change to the composition of the Catholic Church’s highest canonical court of appeal. The July 25 appointments include the first three non-bishops ever named as full members of the tribunal, marking a historic moment in the administration of Church justice.
The appointments also signal a shift in the tribunal’s makeup following the expiration of the five-year terms of Cardinals Joseph Tobin of Newark and Gerhard Ludwig Müller, the only two members of the Signatura who were not canon law specialists. Their departures appear to end a practice established under Pope Francis of appointing non-canon lawyers to the court, while simultaneously opening the door to highly qualified legal experts who are not bishops.
Historic First for Non-Bishop Canonists
Although legislation introduced by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 allowed non-bishops to serve as members of the Apostolic Signatura, neither Benedict nor Francis exercised that option. Pope Leo XIV has now become the first pope to do so.
The three non-bishop appointees are:
- Fr. Eduardo Baura, professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
- Fr. Ulrich Rhode, S.J., professor of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
- Msgr. Gianpaolo Montini, a leading expert on Signatura procedures and emeritus professor of canon law.
Their appointments reflect the tribunal’s increasing emphasis on technical legal expertise, consistent with the Signatura’s role as the Church’s highest court for administrative and procedural appeals.
New Members Bring Extensive Canonical Experience
The seven appointments include a distinguished group of bishops and canon lawyers from across the Church.
Among them are two Americans:
- Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of San Francisco, who previously served as an assistant at the Apostolic Signatura from 1995 to 2002 before becoming an auxiliary bishop in San Diego.
- Bishop Edward M. Lohse of Kalamazoo, who earned a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian University and worked at the Congregation for the Clergy before becoming bishop in 2023.
Also appointed was Bishop Krzysztof Nitkiewicz of Sandomierz, Poland, a former canon law instructor who later served in the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, eventually becoming its undersecretary.
One of the most notable appointments is Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, widely regarded as one of the Vatican’s foremost canon lawyers. Arrieta recently retired as secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts after nearly two decades in the position. His extensive career has included roles as legal secretary of the Apostolic Signatura, judge of the Vatican City State tribunal, consultant to multiple Vatican dicasteries, and coordinator of ongoing work reviewing the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.
Clarifying Confusion Over Tribunal Membership
The appointments initially sparked speculation after the Vatican’s announcement did not specify which existing members were leaving the tribunal. Some reports mistakenly suggested that Pope Leo had removed all members appointed by Pope Francis in 2021.
The situation was complicated by longstanding Vatican practice. Holy See press office bulletins typically announce only new appointments, while current members are privately informed whether their terms have been renewed, extended, or allowed to expire.
Further confusion arises because the governing law of the Signatura contains no mandatory retirement age. As a result, older members may continue serving well beyond the age limits that apply to many other Vatican positions.
For example, Cardinals Leonardo Sandri and Giuseppe Versaldi remain members despite both being 82 years old.
Following inquiries, the Holy See press office clarified that all newly appointed members, except Arrieta, received full five-year terms. Arrieta, who turned 75 in April, was appointed until his 80th birthday.
Who Left and Who Remains
The tribunal’s two non-canonist members, Cardinals Tobin and Müller, were not reappointed when their terms expired. Also departing are Archbishop Fernando Monteiro Guimaraes, Bishop Christoph Hegge, and Bishop Mark Leonard Bartchak.
Several members were confirmed to continue serving for the remainder of their existing terms, including Cardinals Giuseppe Versaldi, Leonardo Sandri, and Raymond Leo Burke, along with Bishop Jan Hendriks.
Others were renewed for another five-year term, including Cardinal Mario Grech, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop Cyril Vasil’, Archbishop Stanislav Zvolenský, Bishop Dominicus Meier, Bishop Ryszard Kasyna, Bishop Andrea Migliavacca, Bishop Egidio Miragoli, and Bishop Pierantonio Pavanello.
Cardinal James Harvey and Bishop Celso Morga were confirmed to remain in office until reaching their 80th birthdays.
The Role of the Apostolic Signatura
The Apostolic Signatura serves as the Catholic Church’s highest judicial authority for most canonical and administrative matters. Functioning as the Church’s final court of appeal, it reviews disputes concerning ecclesiastical governance, administrative decisions, and procedural questions arising throughout the global Church.
Many cases reach the tribunal after being considered by Vatican departments responsible for Church governance. Following a decision by the relevant dicastery, either party may seek final recourse before the Signatura.
The court also oversees appeals from the Roman Rota, the Vatican’s principal appellate court for judicial proceedings across the Church. However, the Signatura does not reconsider the merits of those cases. Instead, it examines whether proper legal procedures were followed. If procedural errors are found, it can overturn a decision and order a new hearing, though it cannot retry the case itself.
Because its work centers on administrative law, procedural justice, and the proper exercise of ecclesiastical authority, membership in the tribunal is typically reserved for individuals with deep expertise in canon law.
A New Direction for the Church’s Highest Court
Pope Leo XIV’s appointments represent both continuity and change. While maintaining the Signatura’s tradition of relying on highly trained canon lawyers, he has also implemented a provision that had remained unused for nearly two decades by appointing non-bishop experts as full members.
The move strengthens the tribunal’s concentration of legal expertise while establishing a precedent that could influence future papal appointments. At the same time, the decision not to renew the terms of the court’s remaining non-canonist members underscores a renewed emphasis on specialized canonical competence at the highest level of the Church’s judicial system.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Pillar
