Salt Lake City, Nov 7 (AP) - Gerald Causse, a prominent figure within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been appointed as its newest apostle. Causse, aged 62, will join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, an all-male governing body positioned just below the church's president and his two principal counselors. This group plays a pivotal role in setting church policy and managing its numerous business ventures.
Causse, originally from France, has spent the last decade as the church's presiding bishop, responsible for overseeing the faith’s financial and welfare programs. During his tenure, the church not only increased its humanitarian efforts but also significantly expanded its global presence by constructing numerous temples, where the most sacred ceremonies of the faith are conducted.
The Mormon church, known officially as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is notably private about its financial matters. However, filings from Ensign Peak Advisors Inc., its investment branch, estimate its portfolio at approximately USD 58 billion. The church's ventures include real estate, agriculture, publishing, life insurance, nonprofit organizations, universities, a cultural center in Hawaii, and a high-end shopping mall in Salt Lake City.
Causse has often served as a spokesperson defending the church's financial secrecy, previously stating that "We really consider those funds as belonging to the Lord." He assumes his new role within the Quorum of the Twelve following the passing of President Russell M. Nelson and the recent appointment of 93-year-old Dallin H. Oaks as the new church president.
Oaks, in a departure from Nelson's presidency, announced at the recent general conference that the growth in the number of new temples being announced will slow. Born in Bordeaux, France, Causse becomes the third European member of the Quorum. During Nelson's leadership, the church also added diversity to its previously all-white panel by including its first Latin American and Asian apostles. Currently, over half of the church's 17.5 million members reside outside the United States.
Apostles are appointed to serve for life and are generally elder men who have attained success in various professions outside the church. Before his service in the church, Causse was the general manager at Pomona, a food distribution firm in France. The three members preceding him in the Quorum of the Twelve had backgrounds as a US State Department official, an accountant for international corporations, and a charity and school board member.(AP) GRS GRS
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