Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor has been appointed as the new papal nuncio for Ireland.
The appointment, confirmed by the Vatican on Saturday morning, was welcomed by the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, who said he would look forward to meeting the new envoy for Pope Francis when he relocates to Ireland.
Argentinian-born Archbishop Montemayor is currently serving as the papal nuncio in Colombia.
He replaces Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, who left Ireland for Prague last year after serving a five year term in this country during which he appointed 12 bishops, or almost half the current membership of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
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“I very much welcome today’s news that Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland,” Archbishop Martin said.
“I pray God’s blessings on Archbishop Mariano and look forward to meeting with him when he takes up his appointment in Ireland in the near future.”
Archbishop Montemayor was born in 1956 in Buenos Aires, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1985.
He has served roles within the Catholic Church’s diplomatic corps in in Ethiopia and Brazil before being appointed papal nuncio for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau e Capo Verde in 2008.
He also served as the papal nuncio in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He speaks fluent Spanish, Italian, French, English, and Portuguese.
