ADDIS ABABA (Vatican News) – Incoming Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, has arrived in Addis Ababa. Archbishop Camilleri expressed his most profound gratitude for the warm welcome accorded him saying the smiles of those who welcomed him show the love and respect the Catholic community, in Ethiopia, has for the Holy Father.
Blessings from the Holy Father
“I am happy to have arrived here in Ethiopia as I come here to work with you representing Pope Francis. I bring you greetings from the Holy Father. I assure you that the doors of the Apostolic Nunciature are always open to discuss issues concerning the Church so that together we can look for solutions,” said the Apostolic Nuncio.
Local Church ready to collaborate
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE); religious Congregations who were represented by Brother Kassu Fantaye as well as the Diocesan clergy assured Archbishop Camilleri of their readiness to collaborate and support him in his new assignment.
Special representative to the African union
Archbishop Camilleri will serve as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia and Djibouti. He will also be the special representative to the African Union and the Apostolic Delegate to Somalia.
About Archbishop Antoine Camilleri
On 3 September 2019, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, appointed Archbishop Antoine Camilleri titular archbishop of Skálholt with a title of the title of apostolic nuncio. On 31 October, the Pope named him apostolic nuncio to Ethiopia and Djibouti, special representative at the African Union, and apostolic delegate to Somalia.
Archbishop Antoine Camilleri was born in Sliema, Malta on 20 August 1965. He was ordained a priest on 5 July 1991 and incardinated in Malta. He graduated in jurisprudence and canon law.
He entered the Holy See diplomatic service on 9 January 1999, and has served in the Pontifical Representations in Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Cuba, and in the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.
He was appointed as under-secretary of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State on 22 February 2013.
Archbishop Antoine knows Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and Russian.
Source: Vatican News