A new appointment for Canada

It was September 28 of this year when the Holy Father, Pope Francis accepted the resignation from pastoral office offered by His Excellency, Pedro Lopez-Quintana, who at the time was serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Canada.

Since that date, the affairs of the Apostolic Nunciature have been tended to by the Charge d'affaires, Monsignor Maurizio Bravi, PH; but all that has changed as of this morning.

The Vatican Press Office announced today that His Excellency, Luigi Bonazzi, Titular Archbishop of Atella, has been named as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Canada.

Archbishop Bonazzi was born at Gazzaniga (Italy) on June 19, 1948.  He was ordained a priest on June 30, 1973, and entered the Diplomatic Service shortly thereafter.  After serving within the Diplomatic Service in various locations, including Canada, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Atella and Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, a position which he held from June 19, 1999 until March 30, 2004.  At that time, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba.  On March 14, 2009, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Lithuania and Estonia, and on March 25 of the same year, he was also appointed Nuncio to Latvia.

Members of the Diplomatic Service usually are given a period of three months following the date of their appointments in order to arrive in their new positions and to begin their work.  In the meanwhile, we pray for the Church in Canada who now prepares to welcome the Vatican's new ambassador, and for the Church in Lithuania, Estonia and Lativa who, having received this news today, now prepare to bid him farewell.