The international campaign “Thank You, Doctor!” (www.thankyoudoctor.org) welcomes the appointment by Pope Leo XIV, on May 27, 2025, of Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Until now the Chancellor of the same Academy, Monsignor Pegoraro is a priest who, among other qualifications, also holds a degree in Medicine.
Monsignor Pegoraro succeeds Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who had long since submitted his resignation due to reaching the age limit.
The Pontifical Academy for Life has been, since its foundation, a founding member of the “Thank You, Doctor!” campaign, together with SOMOS Community Care, an association that brings together over 2,500 physicians in New York City.
“Thank You, Doctor!” has received the support of over 1.2 million people and is endorsed by more than 30 medical and civic associations across different continents.
Monsignor Pegoraro was born in Padua on June 4, 1959. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1989, becoming incardinated in the Diocese of Padua. He earned his degree in Medicine and Surgery on November 12, 1985, at the University of Padua. In 1990, he obtained a Licentiate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a Postgraduate Diploma in Bioethics from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. He has served as Secretary General of the Lanza Foundation in Padua and as Professor of Bioethics at the Theological Faculty of Triveneto.
Since 2000, he has been Professor of Nursing Ethics at the “Bambino Gesù” Pediatric Hospital in Rome. From 2010 to 2013, he served as President of the EACME (European Association of Centers of Medical Ethics). Since September 1, 2011, he has been the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life. He has published several books, articles, and essays.
When receiving the members of the international “Thank You, Doctor!” campaign on May 25, 2025, Pope Francis explicitly cited Monsignor Pegoraro’s reflection on the importance of the family doctor, called to be truly “a ‘family’ person.” With this quote from Monsignor Pegoraro, Pope Francis wished to emphasize “the community dimension of care, which requires ‘contextualizing each patient within their relationships’ and within their ‘affective and social bonds.’”
Monsignor Paglia, who turned 80 last April, had been President of the Pontifical Academy for Life since 2016.