Pope Francis’ new aide is priest who worked with street kids

FILE – In this Sunday, March 17, 2013 filer, Pope Francis is flanked by Gonzalo Aemilius as he greets faithful at the Vatican. Pope Francis has chosen a Uruguayan priest who has worked with street children to be one of his two personal secretaries. The Vatican said on Sunday that Francis has known the Rev. Gonzalo Aemilius since 2006 when the pontiff was then archbishop of Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Antonello Nusca, File)

Pope Francis has chosen a Uruguayan priest who has worked with street children to be one of his two personal secretaries.

The Vatican said Sunday that Pope Francis has known Rev. Gonzalo Aemilius since 2006 when the pontiff was then-archbishop of Buenos Aires in neighboring Argentina.

A few days after Pope Francis was elected pontiff in 2013, he recognized Aemilius in a crowd of well-wishers outside a Vatican gate and invited him into the church where the pontiff was about to celebrate his first public Mass as pope.

Aemilius, 40, replaces an Argentine priest who had been the pope’s secretary since 2013 but who last month returned to his job at the Vatican’s office dealing with bishops.

An Egyptian priest serves as Pope Francis’ other personal secretary.