Vatican City, Aug 22, 2016 / 03:10 am
On Monday Pope Francis appointed U.S. Archbishop Michael W. Banach as Apostolic Nuncio to Guinea Bissau, marking the latest in a string of American nuncio appointments so far this year.
The announcement that Archbishop Banach, previously nuncio to several other countries, will now be overseeing the Holy See's relations with Guinea Bissau came in an Aug. 22 communique from the Vatican.
Designated Titular Archbishop of Memphis in 2013, Archbishop Banach was named nuncio to Senegal and apostolic delegate to Mauritania March 19, and as nuncio to Cape Verde July 9. He will continue to hold these positions in addition to his new appointment as nuncio to Guinea Bissau, all of which sit along the Northwest coast of Africa.
Born in Worcester, Mass. and ordained a priest for the diocese in July 1988, Archbishop Banach, 53, was originally made a Vatican ambassador in 2013 when he was named apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.