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His Eminence Cardinal Ayuso

Country: Vatican City

Languages: Arabic, English, French, Italian

Organizations: Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Religious affiliation: Christianity

Titular Bishop, Diocese of Luperciana, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Ayuso is Titular Bishop of Luperciana, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Cardinal Ayuso has always been active in interreligious dialogue, teaching in both Cairo and Rome as well as writing several important publications on issues related to Christian-Muslim dialogue. As a priest he worked in the local Church in Egypt and Sudan from 1982 to 2002.

He served as President during his service at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI). He also taught courses in interreligious dialogue and participated in meetings and conferences on interreligious relations in various countries in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. In addition to his native Spanish, Cardinal Ayuso speaks Arabic, English, French and Italian.

His Background

  • 2019: Appointed Cardinal by Pope Francis
  • 2019: Appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
  • 2016: Ordained Bishop, Titular See of Luperciana by Pope Francis 
  • Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, 2012-2019
  • President of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), 2005–2012
  • Awarded a PhD in Theology by the Faculty of Theology of Granada, Spain, in 2000

  • Served as parish priest in Sacred Heart Parish in Abbassiyya/Cairo as well as Director of the Pastoral, Liturgical and Catechetical Centre of El Obeid
  • Diocese/Sudan, 1982-2002
  • Ordination as priest in 1980
  • Member of the Comboni Missionaries.
Events