The Italian cardinal succeeds Polish Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, who had led the congregation since 1999. In October Cardinal Grocholewski turned 75, the normal retirement age for the heads of Vatican offices.

Until early 2013, the congregation included responsibility for seminaries, Catholic schools and universities. In one of his last official acts, Pope Benedict XVI transferred responsibility for seminary education to the Congregation for Clergy.

Much of Cardinal Grocholewski's leadership focused on strengthening the Catholic identity of Catholic schools and, particularly, of Catholic universities. He also issued decrees on revising the curriculum for degrees in canon law and Vatican-recognized degrees in philosophy.

Before responsibility for seminaries was transferred, he also issued an instruction in 2005 saying the church cannot allow the priestly ordination of men who are active homosexuals, who have "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" or who support the "gay culture."

Cardinal Versaldi, Cardinal Grocholewski's successor, is a former professor of canon law and psychology and was part of Vatican-appointed team investigating the centers and institutions of the Legionaries of Christ, whose late founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, was accused of sexually abusing minors and fathering children.

In January, Pope Francis named Cardinal Versaldi a member of the new board of review within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The board hears and rules on appeals filed by priests laicized or otherwise disciplined in sexual abuse or other serious cases.