Pope Francis appoints two new undersecretaries to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops: Sr. Nathalie Becquart and Fr. Luis Marín de San Martín.
By Vatican News writer
Pope Francis appointed Sr. Nathalie Becquart and Fr. Luis Marín de San Martín as undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops.
Currently led by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution founded by Pope Paul VI in 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality generated by the conciliar experience.
The appointment of Sr. Natalie Becquart is particularly interesting, being the first time a woman has been appointed to this position.
Biography Sr. Nathalie Becquart
Nathalie Becquart was born in 1969 in Fontainebleau, France.
He graduated from the HEC School of Management with a Master’s degree in Management, specializing in entrepreneurship in Jouy-en-Josas, in 1992, and continued to study philosophy at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Between 1992 and 1993, he volunteered in Beirut, Lebanon, working as a math and French teacher at a Catholic high school and taking philosophy and theology classes at the ISSR-St Joseph Joseph Jesuit University in Beirut. He spent two years working as a consultant in a marketing and advertising agency for NGOs and Christian organizations (EJC consultancy) in Paris.
Nathalie joined the Xaviere sisters, missionaries of Christ-Jesus (Apostolic Congregation of Ignatian Spirituality) in August 1995 and took her final oath in September 2005.
Since then he has worked in various roles, including Spiritual Director for the Ignatian Youth Network in France National Coordinator of the research program for young people in poor urban multicultural areas, Scouts de France; President of the Ignatian association “Life at sea, entering prayer”; Director of the Ministry of the Campus of Créteil (University of East Paris) and member of the diocesan office of the Ministry of Youth, diocesan coordinator of the WYD in 2007-2008; Deputy Director of the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and Vocations (SNEJV), responsible for university pastoral care, at the French Episcopal Conference; Director of the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and for Vocations (SNEJV) at the conference of the French Bishop (September 2012-August 2018 for a term of 6 years); Member of the Episcopal Council of the Diocese of Nanterre France (along with Bishop Michel Aupetit, who is now the Archbishop of Paris); Vice-President of the European Vocations Service (EPC).
During 2016-2018 he was part of the preparatory team for the Vatican Synod on Youth; in October 2018, Auditor at the Synod of Bishops on “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment”.
From then until now, Sr. Nathalie has been following the Vatican’s sabbatical programs at the CTU (Catholic Theological Union) in Chicago, USA.
Biography of Fr. Luis Marín de San Martín
Luis Marín de San Martín was born in Madrid, Spain, on August 21, 1961.
He took temporary vows in the Order of St. Augustine on September 5, 1982 and solemn vows on November 1, 1985.
From 1982 to 1988 he studied philosophy and theology at the Seminario Mayor Tagaste (Los Negrales, Madrid). He was ordained a priest on June 4, 1988 by Mons. Francisco José Pérez and Fernández-Golfín, auxiliary bishop of Madrid. It belongs to the Augustinian province of San Juan de Sahagún in Spain. He received a degree in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Comillas University in Madrid (1990); and another in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1992); and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Comillas University in Madrid (1998) with a dissertation on the ecclesiology of St. John XXIII, which he defended in 1995. He also obtained a degree in Archive Studies (Vatican, 2011).
Between 1988 and 1990 he worked in the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Vid, in San Sebastián de los Reyes. He was a formator in the Augustinian formation house in Los Negrales between 1992 and 1999. He was the parish priest “in solidum” of the parishes in the Montejo de la Sierra area (Madrid) between 1992 and 1995. He was also director of the Estudio Teologic Agustiniano Tagaste ( 1995-1999) and the San Agustín Theological Center (1996-1998). He served as a member of the professorium training team between 1996 and 1999. From 1999 to 2002 he was provincial councilor for the Augustinian province of Spain and pastor of the parishes of Santa Ana and La Esperanza (Madrid). From 2002 to 2008 he was a priest of the Monastery of Santa María de la Vid (La Vid, Burgos) and collaborated as a trainer in the interprovincial novitiate. He taught at the Centro Teológico San Agustín (Los Negrales – San Lorenzo de El Escorial) and at the Estudio Teológico Agustiniano in Valladolid.
He is the author of various books and numerous articles in magazines and specialized publications. From 2009 to 2013 he was secretary of the Augustinian Historical Institute. Since 2004 he has been a visiting professor at the Faculty of Theology in Norte de España (Burgos). He directed numerous retreats and spiritual exercises to religious and laity. He also conducted retreats and continuing education courses for priests and developed an extensive pastoral ministry with lay people. He has served as general archivist of the Order of St. Augustine since 2008 and as assistant general of the Augustinian Order and president of the Augustinian Institute of Spirituality since 2013.