An English born Archbishop's been appointed by Pope Francis as Secretary for Relations with States, the third highest position in the Vatican.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher is the first Englishman to hold the position and was promoted during a series of top level changes in the Church.
Secretary for Relations with States is the equivalent of the UK's Foreign Secretary role.
The 60-year-old archbishop has worked in Tanzania, Uruguay, the Philippines, Burundi, Guatemala and Australia.
He was born in Liverpool and studied at the city's Jesuit St Francis Xavier's College.
The job will involve close contact with Pope Francis and maintaining good relations between the Holy See and world governments.
Elsewhere Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Dominque Mamberti to replace Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke as boss at the Vatican's highest court.
Cardinal Burke, who has often clashed with Pope Francis on sensitive issues like gay and divorced people, has been demoted to Patron of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.
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