VATICAN CITY – On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, announced the appointment of Monsignor Shane L. Kirby as substitute Promoter of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

The Apostolic Signatura ensures that justice in the Church is correctly administered.

The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is composed of Cardinals, Bishops, and priests appointed by the Pope and it is headed by the Cardinal Prefect.

A native of Waynesburg in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Monsignor Kirby was ordained for the Scranton Diocese in 2004 in the Cathedral of Saint Peter. Since November 2017, he has served in the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican in Rome.

Originally appointed as an official of the Congregation of the Clergy, Monsignor Kirby most recently served as coordinator for the Clergy and Administration Offices within the Dicastery.

In 2005, he was awarded a licentiate in patristic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and in 2014, a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington. At the time of his appointment for Vatican service, Monsignor Kirby was serving as Chancellor and Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Affairs for the Diocese of Scranton, as well as pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Jermyn.

Please join us in praying for Monsignor Kirby as he begins his new role!