Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family
and Life, Bishop emeritus of Dallas (United States of America), Camerlengo
of the Holy Roman Church, was born on September 2nd, 1947, in Dublin, Ireland.
After completing primary and secondary school, he attended the University of
Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He holds a
licentiate in philosophy and theology from the University of St. Thomas in Rome. He
entered the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1966 and was ordained a
priest on December 24th, 1978.
After ordination he served as chaplain of the Regnun Christi Movement at the
University of Monterrey in Mexico. Since 1983, he exercised his pastoral ministry in
the parish of St. Bartholomew in Bethesda, in Washington.
In 1984 he was incardinated in the archdiocese of Washington, where he held the
following positions: assistant pastor in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle (1984-
1985); director of the Spanish Catholic Center (1986); acting executive director of the
Catholic Charitable Organizations (1987-1988); secretary for financial affairs (1989-
2001); and pastor of the Annunciation parish (2000-2002).
He was appointed titular bishop of Rusuccuru and auxiliary of Washington on
December 28th, 2001, and received episcopal consecration on February 11th, 2002.
Since 2001 he has held the office of vicar general for administration and moderator of
the Curia. On March 6th 2007 he was appointed as bishop of Dallas.
On August 15th, 2016, Pope Francis called him to serve in the Roman Curia, as prefect
of the new Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life.
Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 19
November 2016, diaconate of San Giuliano Martire.
On 14 February 2019 Pope Francis nominated him Camerlengo of the Holy Roman
Church.
On 29 September 2020, the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Kevin Farrell as president
of the Commission for Confidential Matters.
On 2 June 2023 the Holy Father has appointed the Cardinal Keven Joseph Farrell as
president of the Vatican City State Supreme Court, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Member of:
 Dicasteries: for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for Legislative Texts.
 Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See; for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World.
 Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State;
 Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.