On June 24, 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV confirmed the election as new Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion.
Br Francesco Ielpo is Italian, born on May 18, 1970. He took his solemn vows in 1998, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000.
From 2013 onward, he performed several roles related to serving the Holy Land:
- Commissioner of the Holy Land for Lombardy.
- Board of Directors of the Pro Terra Sancta Association.
- President of the Holy Land Foundation.
- Delegate of the Custos of the Holy Land for Italy.
- General Delegate for the restructuring of the Provinces in Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria.
The Custos of the Holy Land serves as the Franciscan provincial to the area, leading a community of friars. This is a papal confirmation, and the Custos functions as the Holy See’s named guardian of the holy sites.
Please join us in prayer for his success in this role.
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