Pope Francis has appointed a brand new Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty for the Catholic Church in Nigeria to succeed Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
President of the Catholic Bishops Convention of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop of Owerri Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji who confirmed the event in an announcement famous that Archbishop Crotty turns into the primary Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria from Eire.
“We’re grateful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty because the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to construct on the nice works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.”
Archbishop Crotty was appointed Particular Envoy of the Holy See to attend the presidential inauguration of President Bola Tinubu in Might 2023.
The brand new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria described his appointment as, “a reason for nice pleasure”, and pledged to serve to the very best of his skills because the Holy Father’s consultant to all Nigerians, no matter their non secular or ethnic backgrounds.
Archbishop Crotty was nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger earlier than his present appointment.
He was born on March 26, 1970 and was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Eire, on July 3, 1994.
Crotty was elevated to the rank of Archbishop and appointed to the titular See of Lindisfarne on February 1, 2020, when Pope Francis appointed him because the Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso.
Having joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2001, Archbishop Crotty has held varied key roles, serving as Secretary on the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya from 2001 to 2004 and as Deputy Head of Mission of the Everlasting Observer Mission of the Holy See to UNEP and UN-HABITAT.
He was from 2004 to 2007, the First Secretary on the Apostolic Nunciature in Canada, Ottawa, adopted by a time period as First Secretary in Iraq (Baghdad) and Jordan (Amman) from 2007 to 2009.
Returning to the Vatican in 2009, Archbishop Crotty labored as an Official of the Part for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State till 2017.
He then served as First Counsellor on the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain, Madrid, till his appointment to Burkina Faso in 2020.