Le pape François nomme un natif du Burkina Faso nonce apostolique au Ghana

Cité du Vatican, 30 juin, 2024 / 10:04 PM

Pope Francis has appointed Mons. Julien Kaboré, a native of Burkina Faso, as the new Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana, assigning him the Titular See of Milevi in Italy with the dignity of Archbishop.

The appointment of Mons. Kaboré was published by the Holy See Press Office on Saturday, June 29.

The Burkinabé Archbishop-elect has been serving as Councilor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Ireland.

The Accra-based Apostolic Nunciature has been vacant since April 16 when the Holy Father transferred Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński to South Africa after serving in the West African country for four years.

Born in June 1968 in Zorgho, Burkina Faso, Mons. Kaboré was ordained a Priest in July 1995 for Burkina Faso’s Catholic Archdiocese of Koupéla. 

The holder of a degree in Canon Law entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in July 2004, and has, over the years, served in various Apostolic Nunciatures, including Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, Korea, Croatia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Philippines, and Ireland. 

Since his appointment as the representative of the Holy Father in the West African nation was made public, members of the 

Members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) have congratulated the Vatican diplomat, saying in a Facebook post, “Congratulations and welcome to Ghana Your Excellency.” 

Meanwhile, Bishop Thomas Deenihan of Ireland’s Catholic Diocese of Meath has welcomed the appointment of Mons. Kaboré and traced his association with his Episcopal See to some two decades.

“Archbishop-Elect Kaboré has had a long association with Mullingar Parish in the Diocese of Meath, which goes back to the time when he was a student for the Diplomatic service and spent time in Mullingar to learn English,” Bishop Deenihan says in his message.

He adds, “The friendships made here endured and were rekindled when he was appointed to serve as counselor in the Nunciature in Ireland in August 2022.”

“Immediately following the appointment, we were delighted that he made his first visit during the Fleadh Ceoil in Mullingar,” the Local Ordinary of Meath further says, adding that Mons. Kaboré’s service to the Holy See illustrates the “sacrifices made by those who serve the mission of the Church as nuncios and diplomats.”

“In that regard, I am delighted that Archbishop Kaboré’s first appointment as Nuncio is to Ghana, a neighboring country of his native Burkino Faso,” Bishop Deenihan says.

The Irish Catholic Bishop implores, “May I assure him of my prayers and good wishes and those of his many friends in our diocese, as well as the appreciation of the many people to whom he was always willing to be of help.”