Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Brian Udaigwe, Titular Archbishop of Suelli as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Apostolic Nunciature in Sri Lanka, the Catholic Church announced yesterday.
Media Spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka Rev. Fr.W.N. Lal Pushpadewa Fernando OMI said Monsignor Udaigwe will succeed Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Tot, Apostolic Nuncio, who completed his term as the Ambassador of the Vatican to Sri Lanka.
“Monsignor Udaigwe was ordained a priest on May 2, 1992 and was incardinated to Orlu, Nigeria. He holds a degree in Canon Law and entered the diplomatic service in 1994. He has since then served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Bulgaria, Thailand and Great Britain. He was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Benin on 08th April 2013 and to Togo on 16th July 2013, where he serves to date. Monsignor Udaigwe is proficient in English, Italian, French and Spanish.
“The Apostolic Nunciature to Sri Lanka is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka with the rank of Ambassador. Nuncio serves as the Ambassador of the Pope as Head of State of the Vatican City and is an emissary between the Catholic hierarchy in Sri Lanka and the Pope as Head of the Catholic Church.
“We wish God’s grace and abundant blessings to Monsignor Udaigwe as he assumes office as the Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka and offer our continued prayers and support in his new ministry for the Church,” the press release from the Catholic Church added.