Indian who has worked as Vatican diplomat named nuncio to Iraq

Published: 2006-05-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI named a new apostolic nuncio to Iraq, an Indian who has worked in the Vatican diplomatic service on five continents. Msgr. Francis Chullikatt, 53, was named to the post April 29. He has served in the Vatican's diplomatic corps since 1988, including postings in Honduras, South Africa and the Philippines. From 1999 to 2004 he worked as counselor in the Vatican's delegation at the United Nations in New York. For the last two years he has worked in the Vatican Secretariat of State's section for diplomatic affairs. As required by his new job, he will be made an archbishop, the Vatican said. Archbishop-designate Chullikatt was born in Bolghatty, India, March 20, 1953. In 1978 he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Verapoly in Cochin. He speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish. He replaces Archbishop Fernando Filoni, who had served in Iraq since early 2001 and who was named in February as the new nuncio to the Philippines.

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