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This is a list of diplomatic missions of the Holy See. Since the fifth century, long before the founding of the Vatican City State in 1929, papal envoys (now known as nuncios) have represented the Holy See to foreign potentates. Additionally, papal representatives known not as nuncios but as apostolic delegates ensure contact between the Holy See and the Catholic Church in countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
At present, there is one residential apostolic delegate, for Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as non-residential delegates for four countries (Brunei, Laos, Mauritania, and Somalia) and for the territories and countries without diplomatic relations with the Holy See in three regions (the Arabian Peninsula, the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean). For Vietnam, the 21st-century appointees of the Holy See have been given the title "pontifical representative". [lower-alpha 1] In keeping with the "one China" policy, no representative is appointed for mainland China, and the Holy See is represented in Taipei by an apostolic nunciature, headed not by a nuncio, but only by a chargé d'affaires.
In addition to the countries mentioned above that have apostolic delegations, the following nations do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See: Afghanistan, Bhutan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Tuvalu. [3]
In most respects the status of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See are identical with those of other countries, with the exception of the nomenclature: apostolic nuncios have ambassadorial rank and apostolic nunciatures are ranked as embassies. However, in most countries of central and western Europe and of central and southern America, as well as in a few countries elsewhere, the nuncio is granted precedence over other ambassadors and is dean of the diplomatic corps from the moment he presents his credentials.[ citation needed ] The Holy See, which does not issue visas, does not have consulates.
Apostolic delegates and their missions do not have diplomatic status as nuncios and nunciatures do.
In countries that allow it, the apostolic nunciature is sometimes, though rarely, located outside the capital, perhaps in towns with particularly important religious connections, such as the village of Rabat in Malta, the site of Saint Paul's grotto, and Harissa in Lebanon where Maronite, Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic Church authorities are located. In other countries that is not permitted: when India opened diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the apostolic delegation moved from Bangalore to the capital, New Delhi; and in Australia the mission moved from Sydney to Canberra. In Israel, the nunciature is located in Tel Aviv.
Listed below are the Holy See's apostolic nunciatures, apostolic delegations, and observer or representative missions to international governmental organizations — such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Arab League. [4]
The following nunciatures are among those that have ceased to exist:
An apostolic nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is appointed by and represents the Holy See, and is the head of the diplomatic mission, called an apostolic nunciature, which is the equivalent of an embassy. The Holy See is legally distinct from the Vatican City or the Catholic Church. In modern times, a nuncio is usually an archbishop.
An apostolic nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See that is equivalent to an embassy. However, it neither issues visas nor has consulates.
The Apostolic Nunciature to the United States, sometimes referred to as the Vatican Embassy, is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the United States. It is located at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Embassy Row neighborhood. Since 2016, the papal nuncio has been Cardinal Christophe Pierre.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain is the diplomatic office of the Holy See in Great Britain. It is headed by the Apostolic Nuncio, who has the rank of an ambassador. The parties agreed to exchange representatives at the ambassadorial level and Pope John Paul II erected the Nunciature to Great Britain on 17 January 1982. Before then, the interests of the Holy See in Great Britain had been represented by an Apostolic Delegate since 1938, though not granted diplomatic status until 1979. The decision to designate the nuncio to Great Britain rather than the United Kingdom reflected the complex and frequently antagonistic relationship between the Holy See and the British crown since they severed ties in the sixteenth century. British government sources said it had been agreed that the nuncio in London would concern himself with matters in England, Scotland and Wales, while the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, based in Dublin, would have within his purview the entire island of Ireland.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Australia is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Australia. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia with the rank of an ambassador. The office of the nunciature is located in Manuka, Canberra.
Giuseppe Bertello is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from October 2011 to October 2021. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1971 to 2011; became an archbishop in 1987; held appointments as Nuncio to several countries, including Rwanda, Mexico, and Italy; and was the Holy See's representative to a number of international organizations.
The Holy See has long been recognised as a subject of international law and as an active participant in international relations. One observer has stated that its interaction with the world has, in the period since World War II, been at its highest level ever. It is distinct from the city-state of the Vatican City, over which the Holy See has "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction".
Holy See–Malaysia relations are foreign relations between the Holy See and Malaysia.
Ettore Balestrero is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Luciano Suriani is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has serves as Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria from 2022.
Eugene Martin Nugent is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Apostolic Nuncio to Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar since January 2021.
Francis Assisi Chullikatt JCD is an Indian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro since 1 October 2022. He was the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations from 17 July 2010 until 1 July 2014. He previously served as Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq and Jordan, and to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan from 30 April 2016 until 1 October 2022.
Leopoldo Girelli is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as the apostolic nuncio to India and to Nepal. He was nuncio to Israel and to Cyprus as well as apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine from 2017 to 2021. He has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1987 and previously served as nuncio to Indonesia, East Timor and Singapore.
The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to India is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to India, similar to an embassy. Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli was named Apostolic Nuncio by Pope Francis on 13 March 2021. He was formerly Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus.
The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to Bangladesh is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Bangladesh, equivalent to an embassy. It is located at U.N. Road 2, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212. The position of Apostolic Nuncio is currently vacant.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Malaysia is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Malaysia, equivalent to an embassy. It is located at 17 Jalan Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur.
Michael Wallace Banach is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1994. He has been apostolic nuncio to Hungary since May 2022. He has served as an observer at a United Nations agency and as apostolic nuncio to several nations in Asia and Africa.
The Holy See established what has evolved into its Apostolic Nunciature to the Nordic Countries on 16 March 1960 under the title Apostolic Delegation to Scandinavia with responsibility for representing the interests of the pope and the Catholic Church in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. It was originally located in Vedbæk, Denmark; since 2002 its office has been in Djursholm, Sweden, a suburb of Stockholm. The Holy See now has diplomatic relations with each of those countries and the Holy See appoints a nuncio, to date always the same person, to each of them.
The Apostolic Nunciature to United Arab Emirates is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in United Arab Emirates. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. The Apostolic Nuncio to United Arab Emirates was also the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait and resided in Kuwait City until 2022.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Equatorial Guinea is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Delegate.The title Apostolic Nuncio to Equatorial Guinea is held by the prelate appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon; he resides in Yaounde.
... has been appointed the Holy See's ambassador to Great Britain.
Il Santo Padre ha nominato Nunzio Apostolico in Gran Bretagna...