Another African bishop will represent Holy See, a growing trend

Archbishop Julien Kaboré, 56, the new Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, was received by Pope Francis, surrounded by his close friends and family, on September 16, 2024. His episcopal ordination the day before was celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope's secretary of state. A large delegation from his native Burkina Faso was present. The ordination is a further sign of Africa's growing importance within the diplomatic corps of the Holy See.

“It's an honor for the whole of Burkina Faso, and not just for the Church,” Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo, archbishop emeritus of Ouagadougou, told I.MEDIA shortly after Archbishop Kaboré's ordination Mass. The celebration took place in the presence of part of his family — notably his father — and several bishops from Burkina Faso and Ghana.

The role of Apostolic Nuncio should lead to “preaching peace and justice, especially among the leaders of Nations, many of whom are unfortunately unable to guarantee their citizens this serenity and security,” explained Cardinal Parolin in his homily. 

In a painful context marked by the incessant activity of jihadist militias since 2015, and in particular by the Barsalogho massacre that left several hundred dead on August 24, Archbishop Kaboré stressed the importance of peace initiatives led by the local Church. In particular, he mentioned the prayer triduum organized from September 12 to 14 by the Burkina-Niger Bishops' Conference “for peace and for life in our villages and in our countries.”

Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Head of State since 2022, sent the President of Burkina Faso's Constitutional Council, Barthélémy Keré, to Rome for the occasion. He explained in his speech at the reception that this ordination represented a source of pride and comfort “for the 22 million people of Burkina Faso.” 

“His appointment to Accra, not far from where we live, is a sign of the times. In view of the difficulties Burkina Faso is going through, perhaps God is sending us signals that He wants to accompany us, to help us put an end to this catastrophe we are experiencing,” explained Barthélémy Kéré, referring with emotion to the massacre perpetrated on August 24.

The country's civil authorities were also represented by the Minister for Regional Cooperation and the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, accompanied by the Burkina Faso Ambassador to the Holy See, Régis Kévin Bakyono. 

Archbishop Julien Kaboré was born on June 18, 1968, in Zorgho, central Burkina Faso. He was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana after 20 years of service in Vatican diplomacy. Ordained a priest on July 8, 1995, for the Archdiocese of Koupéla, he joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 2004. 

He has served in the nunciatures of Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, Korea, Croatia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Philippines, and Ireland. Several delegations from these countries came to Rome to express their fond memories and affection for Archbishop Kaboré, who has developed many lasting friendships in the countries where he has worked. In addition to French, he speaks English, Italian, and Spanish.

This ordination marks a new stage in African representation within Vatican diplomacy. In line with the growing African presence in many Western dioceses, more and more African dioceses are sending students to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, nicknamed “the school for nuncios.”

It wasn’t until 1998 that the first “papal ambassador” from an African country was ordained: Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, an Ugandan national. He served successively in Tunisia and Algeria from 1998 to 2004, in Madagascar from 2004 to 2010, in Nigeria from 2010 to 2016, and finally in Europe — in Belgium and Luxembourg — from 2016 to 2021.

The first nuncio from a French-speaking African country was Archbishop Léon Léon Kalenga Badikebele (1956-2019), of Congolese nationality. He was apostolic nuncio to Ghana from 2008 to 2013, then to El Salvador and Belize from 2013 to 2018, and finally to Argentina from 2018 until his death. The archbishop passed away in Rome on June 12, 2019, on the sidelines of the triennial meeting of apostolic nuncios. Exceptionally, Pope Francis personally celebrated the funeral three days later in St. Peter's Basilica, in the presence of all the nuncios gathered in Rome.

In addition to Archbishop Kaboré, two other nuncios from French-speaking Africa are currently working within the Holy See's diplomatic network. Archbishop Dieudonné Datonou, from Benin, has been Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi since 2021. Prior to this, he was Pope Francis' travel coordinator for several months, overseeing in particular his delicate March 2021 trip to Iraq.

An Ivorian, Archbishop Jean-Sylvain Émien Mambé, has been Apostolic Nuncio to Mali and Guinea since 2022. A native of the diocese of Yopougon, he was ordained bishop by Cardinal Parolin in Abidjan on May 7, 2022.

The other African nuncios come from the English-speaking sector. Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a Nigerian national, was a highly visible figure during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, as Chief of Protocol of the Secretariat of State from 2007 to 2012. He then served as Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua and the Caribbean, before taking up the strategic position of Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva. In 2023, he was recalled to the Vatican by Pope Francis to become Secretary of the Section for the First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Also Nigerian, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo has been Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic since 2022. He previously served as nuncio to Ireland, where he helped welcome Pope Francis on his challenging 2018 trip to the World Meeting of Families. 

Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, of Tanzanian nationality, was Apostolic Nuncio to Angola, Honduras and New Zealand, but retired in 2024 and went to Rome after being weakened by a heart attack. 

Bishop Brian Udaigwe, originally from Cameroon, has been Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka since 2020, having previously served in Benin and Togo.