Monday, March 12, 2018

Pope will ordain new Nuncios

On Monday, 19 March 2018, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at 5:00pm (noon EDT), inside the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass and will Ordain three new Bishops for service in the Holy See's Diplomatic Corps.


His Excellency, Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, a priest of the Diocese of Pelplin (Poland) who was born on 6 February 1968 in Więcbork (Poland), ordained a priest on 30 May 1993, and who was elected titular Archbishop of Maastricht and appointed Apostolic Nuncio (Ambassador of the Holy See) in Nicaragua on 15 February 2018.

Archbishop-elect Sommertag holds a degree in Canon Law.  He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 19 June 2000, and subsequently served in the Pontifical Representations in Tanzania, Nicaragua, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Palestine and Cyprus, and in the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.  In addition to his native tongue, he speaks Italian, German, Russian, English and Spanish.


His Excellency, Alfred Xuereb, a priest of the Diocese of Gozo (Malta) who was born on 14 October 1958 in Gozo (Malta), ordained a priest on 26 May 1984, and who was elected titular Archbishop of Amantea and appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Korea and Mongolia on 26 February 2018.

After obtaining a degree in theology, Father Xuereb began his administrative service at the Secretariat of the Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in September 1991.

He was transferred to the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State on 1 September 1995; to the Prefecture of the Papal Household in November 2000; to the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State (the Special Secretariat of Benedict XVI) on 11 September 2007 and to the Special Secretariat of Pope Francis on 15 March 2013.

He was appointed as delegate for the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Institute for the Works of Religion and for the Pontifical Commission for study and guidance on the organization of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See on 28 November 2013.

He was appointed as Prelate Secretary General of the Secretariat for Economic Affairs on 3 March 2014.

He speaks Italian, English, German, Portuguese and French.


His Excellency, José Avelino Bettencourt, a priest of the Archdiocese of Ottawa (Canada) who was born on 23 May 1962 in the Azores (Portugal), ordained a priest on 29 May 1993, and who was elected titular Archbishop of Cittanova and appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Georgia and Armenia on 26 February 2018.

Archbishop-elect Bettencourt holds a degree in Canon Law.  He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1999 and worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Secretariat of State's Section for Relations with States.

On 14 November 2012, he was appointed as Head of Protocol of the Secretariat of State.  He speaks English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

No comments: