Gonzalo Aemilius

Gonzalo Aemilius (born 18 September 1979 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan Roman Catholic cleric who served as a personal secretary to Pope Francis from 2020 to 2023. In July 2023, he was replaced by Daniel Pellizzon.

Biography Gonzalo Aemilius was born in Montevideo on 18 September 1979. His parents were not practicing Christians and one of his grandmothers was Jewish. He was ordained a priest on 6 May 2006. While he was working there, Pope Francis, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, learned of his work and telephoned him periodically to discuss it, beginning in 2006. At the end of 2012 he was sent to the parish of Puntas del Manga to take up a new assignment.

On 17 March 2013, as Pope Francis was on his way to celebrating Mass at the Vatican's parish church of Sant'Anna, he recognized Aemilius in the crowd and invited him to attend and after the service introduced him and asked for prayers in support of his work.