The Vatican's new representative to the Court of St.
James, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, presented his diplomatic credentials
to Queen Elizabeth II on March 2 in London.
He holds the title of
Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain.
The Italian prelate and diplomat was taken from Archbishop Vincent
Nichol’s residence to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage before
presenting a letter of his appointment and his predecessor’s
resignation papers.
It was reported that an altar server from
Westminster Cathedral was the coachman for the nuncio’s carriage.
Archbishop Mennini, 63, who is Italian, previously served for eight years as nuncio to Russia. He was highly regarded for the way he handled the Church’s delicate relationship with Moscow and was credited with improving relations dramatically.
Archbishop Mennini, 63, who is Italian, previously served for eight years as nuncio to Russia. He was highly regarded for the way he handled the Church’s delicate relationship with Moscow and was credited with improving relations dramatically.
The previous nuncio, Archbishop
Faustino Sainz Muñoz, a Spaniard, resigned in December 2010 because of
ill health.
Pope Benedict XVI’s choice of Archbishop Mennini was welcomed in
Rome.
The son of a lay Vatican official, Mennini is regarded as an
insider and famous for his work in the Russian Federation and in
relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.
He is said to have
tremendous ecclesiastical and political skill and a reputation of
someone who’s going places.
A skillful diplomat, Archbishop Mennini is credited with a dramatic improvement in relations with the Russian Orthodox Church - a thorny issue in ecumenical affairs.
A skillful diplomat, Archbishop Mennini is credited with a dramatic improvement in relations with the Russian Orthodox Church - a thorny issue in ecumenical affairs.
He served as the Pope’s representative to
Russia since 2002, with Uzbekistan added later.
He previously served as
nuncio to Bulgaria and also worked in Turkey and Uganda after entering
the diplomatic corps in 1981.
While he is not known to have experience in relations with the Anglican Communion, he is thought to bring considerable experience in dealing with a church closely linked to the state.
While he is not known to have experience in relations with the Anglican Communion, he is thought to bring considerable experience in dealing with a church closely linked to the state.
Part of his role is to
recommend names to the Pope for appointment to bishoprics in the UK.
He
was involved in only a few appointments in Russia – notably Archbishop
Paolo Pezzi of the Mother of God Archdiocese in Moscow in 2007, and in
2003, Bishop Cyryl Klimowicz of St Joseph in Siberian Irkutsk.
Mennini will be the first Italian to hold the position since 1997 and
only the second since 1973.