santos abril y castell born 21 september 1935 is the archpriest of the basilica di santa maria maggiore since his appointment on 21 november 2011 he was elected by his fellow members of the commission of cardinals of the institute of works of religion as their president on tuesday 4 march 2014 the iors one of the vaticans banks reform board who were appointed by pope francis in january 2014 to 5year terms and meet at least twice a year he continues his other dutiesabril y castell was born in alfambra spain he was ordained a priest for the diocese of teruel and albarracn on 19 march 1960 in 1961 he went to rome to study and obtained a doctorate in social sciences at the pontifical university of saint thomas aquinas angelicum and a doctorate in canon law at the pontifical gregorian university he attended the elite pontifical ecclesiastical academy in rome he worked in pakistan turkey and the second section of the secretariat of state in rome on 29 april 1985 he was appointed by pope john paul ii apostolic nuncio to bolivia and titular archbishop of tamada he received episcopal ordination on 16 june 1985 by cardinal secretary of state agostino casaroli he later served as papal nuncio in other countries cameroon 19891996 yugoslavia 19962000 argentina 20002003 and slovenia and macedonia 20032011on 22 january 2011 soon after reaching the obligatory retirement age of 75 for nuncios he was appointed vicecamerlengo of the apostolic chamber or vicecamerlengo chamberlain of the holy roman church during a vacancy in the papal see he is first in authority after the cardinals and is entrusted with the surveillance of the conclave to which no one is admitted without his permission on 2 april 2011 he was appointed a member of the congregation for bishops in this role he advises on the names of latin church nonmissionary candidates to fill vacancies on 21 november 2011 he was named archpriest of the basilica of st mary major the papal basilica associated with archbishop abril y castellos native country of spain whose king currently juan carlos is protocanon of the basilicas chapter on 23 july 2012 archbishop pier luigi celata was named by pope benedict xvi to succeed cardinal abril y castell as vicecamerlengo of the holy roman churchit was announced on 6 january that archbishop abril y castell would be created a cardinal on 18 february in rome by pope benedict he was created cardinaldeacon of san ponziano on 21 april 2012 cardinal ayril y castello was appointed a member of the congregation for the causes of saints the congregation for bishops and the congregation for the evangelization of peoples he will lose rights to attend these dicastery meetings and to vote in a papal conclave on his 80th birthday in 2015on 28 july 2012 cardinal abril y castell was appointed by pope benedict xvi as his special envoy to the celebrations of the 950th anniversary of the roman catholic diocese of sap sappa the seat of the diocese is the village of vaudejs district of shkodrhe was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected pope francison 15 january 2014 he was named member for the next quiquennium of the commission of cardinals overseeing the institute for the works of religion ior on 4 march 2014 the members of the cardinals commission overseeing the institute for the works of religion ior nominated him as their president