Pope Francis last night confirmed the election of a new leader of the lay Catholic organisation Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocariz Braña.

The priest becomes the third successor of St. Josemaria Escriva as head prelate.

The election of Ocariz was not unexpected, according to the Catholic News Agency, as he had been auxiliary to the previous prelate, Bishop Javier Echevarría, "and was his natural replacement."

Bishop Echevarría died on December 12 at the age of 84.

The youngest of eight children, Ocariz was born in 1944 in Paris to a Spanish family who had been exiled because of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

He was ordained as a priest in 1971 and earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Navarre, after studying physical sciences at the University of Barcelona and receiving a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in 1969.

Ocariz has written over 30 works about theology and philosophy, including on Christology and Marxism.

He was among the founding professors of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, and has served as a consultor to several dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

He served as vicar general of Opus Dei since 1994, and was named Auxiliary Vicar in 2014.

Opus Dei, which means 'Work of God' in Latin, was founded in 1928 by St. Josemaria Escriva. It is based on the idea that every individual can become a saint.

The organisation's press office said that "within hours of the election [of Ocariz] the Holy Father had already answered to signal his approval, a sign of his confidence in Ocariz".

It added that the nomination of Ocariz "marks a new epoch in Opus Dei's history as he will be the first leader of the organisation who did not work personally alongside the saint."

The new prelate will in the coming days appoint the members of his central councils in Rome who will assist him during the next eight years.

Ocariz is a keen tennis player and cyclist, according to the Opus Dei press office.