The Catholic Union has welcomed the appointment of Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
He succeeds Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti who was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches last November.
Archbishop Maury Buendía, who has spent most of his working life in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, was made titular Archbishop of Italica in 2008 and has been Apostolic Nuncio to several countries, most recently to Romania and Moldova.
As Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Buendia will represent the Holy Father to the Church in England, Wales and Scotland. The role is the equivalent to that of an ambassador, representing the Holy See to the UK Government.
Catholic Union President, Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP, has sent heartfelt best wishes and prayers to Archbishop Buendia, and expressed his hope that the appointment will strengthen relations between London and Rome.
Sir Edward Leigh comments: “We offer Archbishop Buendia our heartfelt best wishes and prayers as he takes up his new role as Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain. This is a very significant appointment for the life of the Church in this country. The Catholic Union looks forward to working with Archbishop Buendia and will do everything we can to support him in his work.
“Relations between our country and the Holy See have greatly improved in recent years. This is in no small part thanks to the efforts of the Nunciature in this country and our diplomats in the Vatican. There is now a much better understanding of our shared interests, including the importance of peace and stability in the Middle East and Ukraine. We look forward to strengthening relations with the new Nuncio.”