Leopoldo_Girelli

Leopoldo Girelli

Leopoldo Girelli

Italian Catholic bishop and diplomat

Leopoldo Girelli (born 13 March 1953) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as the apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal. He was nuncio to Israel and Cyprus as well as apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine from 2017 to 2021. He has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1987 and previously served as nuncio to Indonesia, East Timor, and Singapore.

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Biography

Girelli was born in Predore, Province of Bergamo, Italy, on 13 March 1953.

He was ordained a priest on 17 June 1978 and incardinated in the diocese of Bergamo. He graduated in theology.[1] To prepare for the diplomatic service, he completed a course of study at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1984.[2]

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 13 July 1987 and worked in the papal diplomatic missions in Cameroon and New Zealand at the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, and finally in the Apostolic Nunciature to the United States where he held the rank of Counsellor.[1]

On 13 April 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him apostolic nuncio to Indonesia and titular Archbishop of Capreae.[1] He was consecrated bishop on 17 June, with Cardinal Angelo Sodano as principal consecrator.[3] On 10 October 2006, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to East Timor in addition to his duties as nuncio to Indonesia.[4]

On 13 January 2011, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, and non-residential papal representative for Vietnam.[5][lower-alpha 1] He was the first papal representative appointed for Vietnam since the expulsion of the resident Apostolic Delegate in 1975.[8][lower-alpha 2] On 18 June 2011 Girelli was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);[10] he was the first to hold that title.[11] On 16 January 2013, he was replaced as representative to Malaysia, Brunei, and East Timor, while continuing in his posts in Singapore, Vietnam, and the ASEAN.[12]

On 13 September 2017, Pope Francis appointed Girelli Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.[13][14] Two days later, Girelli was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Cyprus.[15][16]

Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to India on 13 March 2021[17] and added the title of Apostolic Nuncio to Nepal on 13 September of that year.[18]

Notes

  1. When diplomatic relations with Malaysia were established on 27 July 2011, Girelli continued, pending the appointment of the first nuncio to that country, to act as non-diplomatic Apostolic Delegate for Malaysia, accredited to the Catholic Church in the country but not to the Government.[6] The 2012 Annuario Pontificio gave no indication of where the first Nuncio to Malaysia was to be resident, whether in Malaysia, Singapore or elsewhere.[7]
  2. His appointment was approved by the Vietnamese Government, although Apostolic Delegates, being accredited not to the Government but to the Church in the country, are normally assigned without prior consultation of the Government. Accordingly, the 2012 Annuario Pontificio, the first edition published after the change, classified the papal representative office for Vietnam as an Apostolic Delegation, but referred to Archbishop Girelli not as an Apostolic Delegate but as Papal Representative for Vietnam.[9]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 12.04.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 April 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  2. [2]
    "Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999" (in Italian). Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  3. [3]
    "El arzobispo Leopoldo Girelli, nuevo nuncio apostólico en Israel". La Stampa (in Spanish). 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 10.10.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 10 October 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. [5]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.01.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  6. [6]
    Kinabalu, Kota (1 November 2011). "Papal delegate positive on Vatican relations". UCA News. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  7. [7]
    Annuario Pontificio 2012, p. 1319
  8. [8]
    "The Pope appoints his "representative" for Vietnam". Asia News. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  9. [9]
    Annuario Pontificio 2012, p. 1330
  10. [10]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 18.06.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  11. [11]
    "A Catholic voice within ASEAN, "social conscience" for dialogue and freedom". Agenzia Fides. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. [12]
    O'Connell, Gerard (18 January 2013). "Pope appoints American as first Nuncio to Malaysia". La Stampa. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  13. [13]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.09.2017" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  14. [14]
    "Pope appoints new Vatican ambassador to Israel". Times of India. 13 September 2017.
  15. [15]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 15.09.2017" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  16. [16]
    "Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli Is Appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Cyprus". Zenit. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  17. [17]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.03.2021" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  18. [18]
    "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.09.2021" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
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