Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli at the national shrine of Our Lady of La Vang on Aug. 13. (ucanews.com photo)
Pope Francis has named Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, who has served as Vatican envoy to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries since 2011, as the apostolic nuncio to Israel and apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.
Before his appointment, Archbishop Girelli served as the Vatican's first non-resident representative to Vietnam since the country was reunified under communist rule in 1975.
Based in Singapore, the Italian diplomat paid month-long working visits to dioceses in Vietnam.
Archbishop Girelli was a strong critic of the Vietnamese government's persecution of local Catholics and was himself prevented from celebrating Mass in Vietnam on several occasions.
The archbishop also served as apostolic nuncio to Singapore and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Born on March 13, 1953 in Italy, he was ordained a priest on June 17, 1978 before his episcopal ordination on June 17, 2006.
Emeritus Pope Benedictine XVI named him as non-resident representative to Vietnam in 2011.