Nuncio Abstol new Leopoldo Girelli to India

Archbishop Girelli takes over as the Nuncio Abstol to India from Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, who moved Pope Francis to Brazil on 21 August 2020.

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis on Saturday appointed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli as the new Nuncio Abstol to India. To date, the 67-year-old Italian has been an Nuncio Apostle to Israel and Cyprus, and an Abstol representative to Jerusalem and Palestine.

Archbishop Girelli, who is on several Holy See diplomatic missions in Asia, is taking on the new role.th birthday.

Born on 13 March 1953 in Predore, Bergamo in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, he was ordained a priest on 17 June 1978 for the Diocese of Bergamo. He has a doctorate in theology and a master’s degree in language law.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 13, 1987, and served in Papal Diplomatic missions in Cameroon, New Zealand and at the Department of General Affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State, and finally in the Nunciature Abstol to the United States. , where he was a Councilor level.

When Pope Benedict XVI appointed Abstol Nuncio to Indonesia on April 13, 2006, he also made him archbishop. He was consecrated a bishop on June 17, 2006.

Later, on October 10, 2006, he was also named Apostolic Nuncio to East Timor. On January 13, 2011, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Apostolic Representative to Malaysia and Brunei, and non-resident Pontifical Representative for Vietnam. He was also named Nuncio Abstol to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on June 18, 2011.

On September 13, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him Apostle Nuncio to Israel and the Apostle Testament to Jerusalem and Palestine. Two days later, he was also named Apostolic Nuncio to Cyprus. In addition to his native language, he speaks English and French.

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