By Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: The Holy Father has appointed His Excellency Monsignor Leopoldo Girelli (68), Titular Archbishop of Capri, Apostolic Nuncio to India, Apostolic Nuncio to Nepal.
Earlier, Most Rev. Leopoldo Girelli was appointed as the Nuncio to India on 13 March 2021 by His Holiness Pope Francis, while he was serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and to Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli was born on 13 March 1953 in Predore, Bergamo in Lombardy region of northern Italy. He was ordained priest on 17 June 1978 for the diocese of Bergamo. He holds a doctorate in theology and master’s degree in canon law. He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 13 July 1987 and worked in the Papal Diplomatic missions in Cameroon, New Zealand and at the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, and finally in the Apostolic Nunciature to the United States where he held the rank of Counsellor.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia on 13 April 2006 and Titular Archbishop of Capreae. He was ordained Bishop on 17 June 2006 by Cardinal Angelo Sodano. He was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to East Timor on 10 October 2006 in addition to his duties as Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia. On 13 January 2011 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia and to Brunei, and non-residential Pontifical Representative for Vietnam. He was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 18 June 2011.
On 13 September 2017, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine and on 15 September 2017 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Cyprus. Aside from Italian, his mother language, he also speaks English and French.