The Vatican announced March 7 that Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia is the new Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, replacing Cardinal Christophe Pierre as the Holy See's representation in the country.
Born in Milan on February 24, 1958, Gabriele Giordano Caccia was ordained a priest on June 11, 1983. After studying at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome – the school for nuncios – he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1991.
During the early years of his career, he worked in Tanzania, then in the General Affairs section of the State Secretariat (within the office of the Deputy Prosecutor). He then became Assessor for General Affairs in 2002, essentially the Deputy Prosecutor's right-hand man.
Archbishop Caccia was given his first post as nuncio in 2009, when Benedict XVI appointed him to Lebanon. He was then ordained a bishop – with the rank of archbishop – as is customary for papal representatives. He was notably responsible for welcoming the German pontiff, who came to Lebanon for his last apostolic journey in September 2012.
Transferred by Pope Francis to the Philippines in 2017, he remained there for two years before being appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York in 2019.
Fluent in Italian, English, French, and German, Archbishop Caccia has already worked extensively in the American context through his diplomatic role at the UN. His new assignment places him at the center of relations between the Vatican, the U.S. government, and the country’s more than 70 million Catholics, during this historical time in which a US-native is the Successor of Peter.
What is an Apostolic Nuncio?
Cardinal Pierre, 80, served as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States for 10 years, beginning in 2016. He was the first Frenchman to have the position. Prior to serving in the United States, Cardinal Pierre was the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Uganda, and Haiti.
He was created cardinal on September 30, 2023.
