On Tuesday, February 25, 2020, the Vatican announced that former faculty member and interim Rector of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary, George Gallaro, has been appointed the new Secretary of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. Most recently Bishop of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi di Sicilia, Bp. Gallaro was given the rank of titular Archbishop as well.
The Most Rev. Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro was born on January 16, 1948 in Pozzallo in Sicily. He moved to the United States in 1968 and completed theological courses at Saint John Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California. He was ordained a deacon in 1971 and a priest in 1972.
After serving two parish communities for eight years in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he completed his studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Rome and at the Pontifical University of San Tommaso in Urbe, obtaining a doctorate in canonical eastern law and a license in ecumenical theology.
Father Gallaro served as Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton (Massachusetts), Rector of the Melkite St. Gregory Seminary, Director of the Melkite Diaconate Program, and Coordinator of Continuing Education for Clergy. Among other past duties, he also was an Instructor of Catechetics and Defender of the Bond in the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a Lecturer of Canon Law at Boston Theological Institute, and pastor of several Melkite and Ukrainian parishes.
In the Ruthenian Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, he served as administrator of St. Andrew Byzantine Catholic Church, Gibsonia, PA. He also worked for the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh for ten years, during which time he fulfilled the positions of Syncellus for Canonical Services, Judicial Vicar, member of the Presbyteral Council and of the Intereparchial Canonical Commission, as well as a Director of Human Formation, acting Rector, and member of the faculty of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary.
Prior to his elevation to Secretary, he has been a consultor for the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, a member and past president of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches, and member of the Canon Law Society of America. A prolific writer, he has published numerous articles and has authored several books.