Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, the retired president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, in the annual New Year’s honors list.

Cardinal Fitzgerald, who is now 84, was honored for “services to interfaith and interchurch partnership.” He had worked in the Vatican ecumenical office from 1987 to 2005, first as secretary and then as president. He then served as apostolic nuncio in Egypt until his retirement in 2012. He received his red hat from Pope Francis in 2019.