Alfred Xuereb was born in
Victoria (known also as Rabat) on the
Maltese island of
Gozo on 14 October 1958. He studied
philosophy and
Roman Catholic theology in Malta and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Gozo on 26 May 1984. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Xuereb his second private secretary, succeeding
Mieczysław Mokrzycki as his second private secretary. He accompanied the Pope on his trips. After the election of
Pope Francis in 2013, Xuereb became his first private secretary. On 28 November 2013, Pope Francis appointed him a delegate for the
Pontifical Commission investigating the
Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and for the Pontifical Commission on the Organisation of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See. He was tasked with keeping the Pope informed of their procedures and initiatives. Continuing to place Xuereb in positions crucial to financial reform, on 3 March 2014, Pope Francis appointed him the first Secretary General of the
Secretariat for the Economy, a new department of the
Roman Curia. ==Diplomatic career==