Sunday, May 12 2024 Donate
A service of EWTN News

Pope Francis appoints new permanent observer to the UN in Geneva

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, whom he appointed as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva on June 21, 2023./ Vatican Media

Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Ettore Balestrero as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva on Wednesday.

As the Holy See’s Switzerland-based representative to the U.N., Balestrero will also be the Holy See’s observer at the World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, and other Geneva-based organizations. 

The 56-year-old Vatican diplomat most recently served as the apostolic nuncio to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he has been based since 2018.

Balestrero was also the Vatican undersecretary for Relations with States from 2009 to 2013 under Secretary Dominique Mamberti. In this role, he was the Vatican’s representative to Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s anti-money-laundering watchdog.

He succeeds Nigerian Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, who was recently appointed to a leadership role in one of the most important dicasteries in the Roman Curia as a secretary for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.

Balestrero was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1966 to an American mother and an Italian father. After studying law, he entered seminary and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rome at the age of 26.

He trained for the Holy See’s foreign service at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and holds a doctorate in canon law. 

Balestrero speaks French, Spanish, German, and Dutch, in addition to fluent English and Italian.

During his diplomatic career he has held positions in South Korea, Mongolia, the Netherlands, and Colombia, where he served as apostolic nuncio from 2013 to 2018.

The Holy See became a Permanent Observer State at the U.N. in 1964. The Holy See’s mission at the United Nations is of key importance for the Holy See’s diplomatic work. The mission aims to communicate the Catholic Church’s centuries of experience to assist the U.N. in realizing peace, justice, human dignity, and humanitarian cooperation and assistance.

Balestrero will serve as one of two Vatican representatives to the U.N. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia is the Holy See’s permanent observer at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.

As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Click here

Our mission is the truth. Join us!

Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.

Donate to CNA