Pope Francis appoints new Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda

By Paul Kayonga

The Catholic Pontiff His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed His Excellency The Most Rev. Luigi Bianco, Tilular Archbishop of Falerone, as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda.

In a statement signed by Fr. Alfred Rayan D’Souza, the in Charge of the Nunciate in Uganda, Most Rev. Luigi has been posted to Uganda from Ethiopia and Djibout. He was also an Apostolic delegate to Somalia.

Born on 3rd March, 1960 in Italy, His Excellency Most Rev. Luigi was ordained priest for diocese of Cosale Monterrate on 30th March, 1985.

He has a doctorate in Canon Law with wide experience in diplomatic services of the Holy See on 1st July, 1089.

In July last year, Pope Francis transferred Archbishop Michael August Blume with immediate effect. American Archbishop Blume, who was in the position since February 2, 2013 — on appointment by Pope Benedict XVI, (now Pope Emeritus), moved to Hungary leaving the position vacant.

An Apostolic Nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See, equivalent to an embassy. However, it does not issue visas, nor does it have consulates.

The head of the Apostolic Nunciature is called a nuncio, an ecclesiastical diplomatic title. A papal nuncio (officially known as an Apostolic nuncio) is a permanent diplomatic representative (head of diplomatic mission) of the Holy See to a state or to one of two international intergovernmental organizations, the European Union or ASEAN, having the rank of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and the ecclesiastical rank of titular archbishop. Papal representatives to other intergovernmental organizations are known as "permanent observers" or "delegates".