Article originally published at https://www.acistampa.com/story/33105/diplomazia-pontificia-un-bilancio-del-2025-numeri-e-curiosita
Three nuncios of a certain weight will have to leave their posts after reaching or exceeding 75, retirement age. The first is Cardinal Christophe Pierre, nuncio to the United States, whose retirement (he has passed 80 and must retire) also opens the way for the succession of the Pope’s ambassador to a key post like Washington. Another key post that will soon be vacant is the Holy Land, because the nuncio to Israel and apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, Tito Adolfo Yllana, will turn 78. And then Syria, which has another cardinal as its nuncio, Mario Zenari, likely to retire next year, given that he will turn 80 on January 5th.
However, this year’s generational turnover has mainly affected the Secretariat of State. Miroslaw Wachowki, after four years as “undersecretary of Foreign Affairs,” has been sent to the key nunciature in Baghdad, while Monsignor Roberto Campisi, assessor of the Secretariat of State, has taken the post of Holy See observer to UNESCO . There is, therefore, a new “vice minister of Foreign Affairs” in the Secretariat of State, the Romanian Monsignor Mihăiţă. Blaj , who will take charge of key dossiers, including those on Vietnam and China . As assessor, however, Leo XIV chose someone outside the Secretariat of State , calling upon the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Anthony Ekpo , who nevertheless came to the dicastery from the ranks of the Third Lodge and who has written a somewhat successful book on the Roman Curia.
The generational change has also affected the embassies to the Holy See. There is a new resident ambassador, from Belarus, and a new resident embassy from Kazakhstan, which is developing a dialogue on interreligious issues with the Holy See .
The passing of Pope Francis during the Jubilee Year has inevitably halted some diplomatic activities . Pope Francis’s funeral was marked by a bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Cardinal Parolin, who had resigned from his post as Vatican Secretary of State at the time of the funeral, nevertheless met Zelensky in a bilateral meeting in the Concordat Hall of the Apostolic Palace , in a highly unusual and non-protocol manner. The Holy See continues its commitment to repatriating Ukrainian children who have been in Russia, and Zelensky has already visited Leo XIV twice in Castel Gandolfo, in Palazzo Barberini, which the Pope uses as his residence whenever he wants to “disconnect.”
Leo XIV also chose a person responsible for travel: Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas Castañeda , Official of the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State . His first task was to organize Leo XIV’s trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the first international trip of the pontificate.
Also noteworthy are the good relations between Cuba and the Holy See, which led to the release of over 500 political prisoners at the beginning of the year . The Holy See, including through the Pope, has repeatedly expressed its willingness to mediate on the conflict in Ukraine, but without success. Among Leo XIV’s meetings was one with the governor of Illinois, his home state, Pritzker . The conversation took place on the eve of a law liberalizing abortion, which Pritzker later signed, giving extensive statements on his conversation with the Pope. Leo XIV, however, stopped the narrative, emphasizing that his position, even in the meeting with Pritzker , had been clear and pro-life.
Among the currently vacant nunciatures are Haiti ( whose situation was mentioned by the Pope in his Christmas address to the Holy See ) , Sudan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Albania, Uganda, Congo, Gabon, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. It should be noted that Nicaragua has not had a nuncio since the expulsion of Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag in March 2022, which was followed by the expulsion of all Vatican diplomats (who are now in San Salvador, while the nunciature is being taken over by the Italian Embassy in Managua) and under increasingly critical conditions for the Catholic Church, as the number of expelled priests and religious continues to increase.
The Holy See’s diplomatic focus has been on the Holy Land, where the conflict that followed the Hamas attacks of October 7 continues.
In his Christmas address to the Urbi et Orbi, Leo XIV did not mention the situation in Nigeria , although he had referred to it in one of the impromptu conferences outside Palazzo Barberini in Castel Gandolfo . Nor was the situation in Cyprus mentioned, although Pope Francis had mentioned it in his Christmas address to the Urbi et Orbi in 2024. Northern Cyprus has been occupied for fifty years and has become a state recognized only by Turkey . The new geopolitical balance, with Turkey’s ever-increasing presence, and the situation in the Holy Land place Cyprus in a complex situation that deserves international attention.
FOCUS ON NUNCIATURES
All the transfers of the nuncios in 2025
On January 14, to Archbishop Gábor Pintér , nuncio to New Zealand and Fiji, has been added to his post as papal representative to Palau, Micronesia, and Vanuatu. He will subsequently also be appointed nuncio to the Cook Islands, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, and Nauru, and then apostolic delegate to the Pacific Ocean.
On January 15, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Maurizio Bravi as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Bravi, who was the Holy See’s permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, replaced Maurizio Lalli, who had been appointed nuncio to Papua but never arrived due to a serious illness.
Albania has been vacant since January 21, 2025, when Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi resigned after a long diplomatic career. Bonazzi then died in early December from complications of bronchopneumonia . Archbishop Paul Tschang In- Nam , apostolic nuncio to the Netherlands, retired on February 13 .
On March 15, Pope Francis appointed Giancarlo Dellagiovanna, who until then had been serving in the Vatican Secretariat of State, as apostolic nuncio to Burkina Faso . On the same day, Francis ended the nunciature’s vacancy in Chile, sending Archbishop Kurian as his “ambassador.” Mathew Vayalunkal , transferring him from the headquarters of Algeria and Tunisia.
On March 22, Archbishop Bernardito Auza has been appointed nuncio to the European Union, replacing Noël Treanor , who died prematurely . Auza had previously served as nuncio to Spain and, before that, as Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York.
On March 25, Ignazio Ceffalia , who until then had served in the nunciature in Venezuela, filling the difficult vacancy of the nuncio for some time, was appointed nuncio to Belarus. On the same day, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Brian Udaigwe as apostolic nuncio to Ethiopia, transferring him from his role as nuncio to Sri Lanka, and then Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich to the Netherlands. The latter had until then been apostolic nuncio to Slovenia and apostolic delegate to Kosovo.
On May 20, Leo XIV ended the brief vacancy of the nunciature in Slovenia by designating Archbishop Luigi Bianco , transferred from his role as nuncio in Uganda, as his “ambassador” in Ljubljana.
On May 23, Archbishop Ivo Scapolo , nuncio to Portugal, retired at the age of 70, as is permitted only to papal representatives, according to a regulation that places them on a par with ambassadors from other countries.
On August 15, Eric Soviguidi was transferred from his post as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to UNESCO to the role of nuncio to Burkina Faso, to which he later added the role of nuncio to Niger. Soviguidi replaced Archbishop Dellagiovanna just five months after the latter was sent to Burkina Faso , but the reason for his transfer has not been disclosed, nor has Dellagiovanna been assigned a new post.
On September 15, the brief hiatus of Spain and the Principality of Andorra ended with the appointment of Archbishop Piero Pioppo as nuncio to Madrid. Pioppo had previously served as nuncio to Indonesia and ASEAN.
On September 18, Archbishop Miroslaw Wachowski was promoted from his position as Undersecretary for Relations with States to Nuncio to Iraq. During his six years as Vatican Deputy Foreign Minister, Wachowski had overseen the continuation of talks with China regarding the agreement on the appointment of bishops, as well as other key issues , such as Vietnam, which led to the appointment of the Holy See’s first resident representative in Hanoi.
On 3 November, Leo XIV also appointed Archbishop Brian Udaigwe as Apostolic Nuncio to Djibouti, Special Representative to the African Union and Apostolic Delegate to Somalia .
On November 22, on the eve of Leo XIV’s trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the Pope also appointed a nuncio to Algeria in the person of Archbishop Javier Herrera Corona , transferred from his post as nuncio to the Republic of Congo and Gabon.
Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso was appointed nuncio to Portugal, transferring from his position as nuncio to Ecuador.
AMBASSADORS FOCUS
All ambassadors accredited in 2025
On February 7, Pope Francis received the credentials of Timur Primbetov , Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the Holy See. He is the first resident ambassador from the former Soviet nation, which Pope Francis visited in 2022, and is strongly committed to interreligious dialogue. He was the last ambassador to present his credentials to Pope Francis, before the pontiff’s death.
The round of credentials resumed on May 27 , two weeks after the election of Leo XIV. The first ambassador to present his credentials to the new Pope was Hussein El Saharty, Egyptian ambassador to the Holy See.
On 3 June, Leo XIV received the credentials of the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, Keith John Pitt , and on the same day, Valdemar Suárez Diaz, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, also presented his credentials.
On June 17, it was the turn of David Medvabishvili , Georgian Ambassador to the Holy See. Yury Ambrazevich, Belarus’s first resident ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials to the Pope on June 21. On July 3, Pope Francis presented his credentials to Anthony Chung- Yi Ho , Taiwan’s ambassador to the Holy See. Chung replaces Matthew Lee, who has been in Rome for more than a decade.
On August 28, Marcel Sene, Senegal’s ambassador to the Holy See, presented his letters of credence, and on September 5 it was the turn of Iván Velásquez Gómez , ambassador of Colombia .
Brian Burch ‘s confirmation as U.S. Ambassador by Congress took a long time, partly due to Democratic blockages on some votes. Finally, on September 13, the U.S. ambassador was able to present his credentials to the first American pope in history.
On September 20, the Portuguese ambassador to the Holy See, Maria Amélia Maio de Paiva, presented her credentials to Leo XIV, and on October 9 it was the turn of the Honduran ambassador, Gilliam Noemi Gómez. Guifarro .
On October 11, Bruno Kahl , German Ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials. He replaces Ambassador Kotsch , who has been appointed to a government post.
Fadi Assaf, Lebanese ambassador, presented his credentials to Leo XIV on November 3, just a month before the Pope’s trip to his country.
On November 13, Ben Batabe Assorow , Ghana’s ambassador, was able to present his credentials to the Pope, and on November 15, the new Greek ambassador, Despina Poulou , was there .
On December 6, Leo XIV received the credentials of a number of non-resident ambassadors, and on that occasion also gave a speech , in which he reaffirmed “ that the Holy See will not remain silent in the face of grave disparities, injustices and violations of fundamental human rights in our increasingly divided and conflict-prone human and global community .”
The new ambassadors were: Farrukh Tursonov , from Uzbekistan; Gabriela Moraru , from Moldova; Essam Abdulaziz al-Jassim , from Bahrain; Himalee Subhashini Arunatilaka , from Sri Lanka; Marghoob Saleem Butt from Pakistan; Genevieve Kennedy from Liberia; Pannabha Chandraramya from Thailand; Mafelile Molala from Lesotho; Phaswana Cleopus Sello Moloto from South Africa; Jovilisi Suveinakama from Fiji; Akillino Susaia from Micronesia; Māris Selga from Latvia; Sirpa Oksanen from Finland.
On December 19, he presented his credentials to Leo XIV Hyung Sik Shin , Ambassador of Korea to the Holy See, while on December 20 it was the turn of Leyde Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández , Ambassador of Cuba to the Holy See. Cuba and the Holy See are celebrating 90 years of diplomatic relations this year.
On the same day, Koji Abe , Japan’s ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials.
FOCUS MULTILATERALISM
The Holy See at the United Nations in New York
The Holy See has had Permanent Observer status at the United Nations since 1964. It has never sought member state status, despite having been offered it several times, in order to maintain its freedom, avoid voting (or not voting, which would still be a stance) on resolutions under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which concerns declarations of war, and remain free from any politicization.
This year, the United Nations Permanent Observer Mission gave approximately 53 addresses . Of these, three were by Cardinal Pietro Parolin , Vatican Secretary of State, on the occasion of the Path to Peace Award presented to the Vatican Secretariat of State , which also coincided with the celebrations for the election of Leo XIV. One was by Professor Gabriella Gambino, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, who was head of the Holy See’s delegation to the 69th Commission on the Status of Women , which celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. Seven were by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States , who participated in the United Nations General Assembly, which celebrated the organization’s 80th anniversary. One was by Archbishop Nugent , Nuncio to Qatar, on the occasion of the Second World Summit on Social Development, organized by the United Nations in Doha.
The Holy See at the United Nations in Geneva
The Geneva mission is of central importance because it is dedicated not only to the United Nations, but also to UNCTAD, the UN trade agency; the International Organization for Migration, a crucial issue for Pope Francis ; and WIPO, the International Intellectual Property Organization, where the extremely difficult issue of vaccine patents is being played out.
This year, the mission delivered 41 presentations . Also noteworthy are the organization of a conference on foreign debt cancellation, and several other highly interesting events promoted by the mission.
The Holy See’s mission in Vienna
The Holy See’s mission in Vienna is home to the Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which the Holy See helped establish by actively participating in the negotiations for the Helsinki Treaty in 1975 and by having the issue of religious freedom included in that treaty .
He is also the representative of the Holy See towards the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, of which the Holy See is a founding country .
Over the course of this year, the mission has delivered fifteen interventions.
The Holy See’s Mission to FAO
Permanent Observer to the FAO and other United Nations agencies for Agriculture and Food is Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano , who does not fail to underline the problem of world hunger in several articles for the Osservatore Romano .
The Representation of the Holy See to the Council of Europe
The Holy See has been cooperating with the Council of Europe since 1962, and became an Observer State on 7 March 1970. As of 2014, the Holy See had ratified six Council of Europe conventions and participated in several partial agreements, both as a member State and as an Observer State .
The mission of the Holy See to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg aims to maintain a constructive dialogue with the 47 member countries of the Council and the 5 observer countries , with the aim of supporting all initiatives aimed at building a democratic society founded on respect for the dignity of the human being.
Among the activities of the Holy See’s mission to the Council of Europe is that of acting as a liaison with MONEYVAL, the Committee that evaluates the financial transparency of countries that choose to submit to its assessments. The Holy See has been involved in the MONEYVAL process since 2011, making a series of advances in financial activity that were also certified in the latest progress report of December 2017. The latest MONEYVAL report was published in April 2021. MONEYVAL recently welcomed some of the Holy See’s legislative reforms .
The Holy See’s mission to UNESCO
The Holy See’s mission to UNESCO, the UN agency for culture , seems to be more silent . And this year, no interventions have been broadcast at the organization’s assemblies, which are distributed sparingly.
The Holy See Observer to the World Tourism Organization
Few people know that the Holy See also has an Observer at the World Tourism Organization. Since 1988, seven observers have succeeded one another, the penultimate of which was Monsignor Maurizio Bravi, appointed in 2016 and appointed nuncio to Papua New Guinea in early 2025. The position is currently held by Monsignor Jain Mendez, appointed on September 1 .
FOCUS ON TREATIES
Regarding agreements and concordats, the Holy See has 261 bilateral agreements. Among these, some are amendments to existing agreements , while others are agreements still in force. In total, according to one report, there are 215 concordats and agreements between the Holy See and 74 countries, of which 154 are with 24 European countries . The most recent agreement was between the Holy See and the Czech Republic.
Among the treaties, it is worth noting the one that established the status of a resident representative of the Holy See in Vietnam. This is a step toward full diplomatic relations.
This year, the Holy See and the Italian Republic signed an agreement for an agrivoltaic system in Santa Maria di Ponte Galeria , and an agreement for the pastoral care of the armed forces.