Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, was born in Verona in 1955, entered the Pious Society of Don Nicola Mazza, and was ordained a priest in 1982.

He was awarded a licentiate in Eastern languages and literature from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, as well as a licentiate in liturgy from the Pontifical Saint Anselm Athenaeum, and a doctorate in oriental ecclesiastical sciences from the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

As a lecturer, he has taught in the Universities of Venice, Padua and Rome, as well as at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

He entered the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in 1985 and became under-secretary in 1997.

He was appointed archbishop in 2002, and was apostolic nuncio in countries of the eastern Christian tradition: from 2002 in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 2011 Pope Benedict XVI sent him to Belarus, and Pope Francis sent him as nuncio in Ukraine from 2015 to 2020 (the country with the largest number of Catholics of eastern rite), and then in Great Britain.

Since January 2023 he has served as prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 30 September 2023, of the Deaconry of Sant'Ambrogio della Massima.

Member of: 

• Dicasteries for the Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World and Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches; for the Doctrine of the Faith; for Bishops; for Promoting Christian Unity; for Interreligious Dialogue; for Culture and Education; for Legislative Texts.
• Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State;
• Council of the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Secretariat of State.