Former Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and Great Chancellor of the Oriental Pontifical Institute since 1991, Card. Achille Silvestrini has worked closely with several countries of South-East Asia since 1952. In 1958 he was Head of the Delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations. In 1973 Pope Paul VI appointed him Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Public Affairs of the Church and he was Secretary of this office from 1978 to 1988. In the same year Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Novalciana. In 1988 he was lifted to Cardinal and appointed Prefect of the Apostolica Signatura until 1991, when the Pope designated him Prefect of the Congreagation for Oriental Churches. He is Chairman of the Foundations Comunità Domenico Tardini and Sacra Famiglia di Nazareth.