It has been one of the most anticipated appointments of the new papacy. Pope Leo XIV has named Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the United States—that is, the Vatican’s new ambassador to the North American powerhouse.
Until now, the 68-year-old Italian priest served as the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations since 2019.
He succeeds 80-year-old French Cardinal Christopher Pierre as nuncio to the U.S., who submitted his resignation and had it accepted by Pope Leo XIV due to the age limit.
Caccia will begin his new role as the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most significant anniversaries in the country's history.
This is one of the most important decisions Pope Leo XIV has made in his first ten months as Pope: choosing his envoy in the key political country, especially as the Trump administration has recently played a strong role on the global geopolitical stage.
The appointed nuncio has repeatedly defended what has become a universal message of the Church: the need to prioritize negotiation and dialogue, and placing the use of weapons and conflict aside.
MONS. GABRIELE CACCIA
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
“Showing the compatibility between the peace proclaimed by the Gospel and the peace that the peoples of the world seek.”
The archbishop also has extensive experience in Vatican diplomacy. He served as the nuncio to Lebanon, one of the countries affected by the conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. He later served again as nuncio in the Philippines, another strategically important region on the international stage.
He worked as an advisor for General Affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State from 2002 to 2009, during which time he worked closely with the current Vatican number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
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