Pope names experienced diplomat as nuncio to Israel, Cyprus

Published: 2006-01-23

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI named an experienced Vatican diplomat, Italian Archbishop Antonio Franco, as the new apostolic nuncio to Israel. Archbishop Franco, 69, will also serve as papal nuncio to Cyprus and papal delegate to the Palestinian Authority. The Vatican announced the appointment Jan. 21. He replaces Archbishop Pietro Sambi, who was recently named apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Franco has been nuncio to the Philippines since 1999. From 1992 to 1999 he served as the first nuncio to the independent Ukraine. After entering the Vatican's diplomatic service in 1972, he worked in papal diplomatic missions in Bolivia, Iran and France and at the United Nations in New York. From 1988 to 1992, he closely followed church affairs in Eastern Europe while working at the Vatican's Secretariat of State.

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