The Apostolic Nunciature to Venezuela is the

diplomatic mission A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, formally established in 1921. The most recent Apostolic Nuncio is Archbishop

Aldo Giordano Aldo Giordano (20 August 1954 – 2 December 2021) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union in 2021. He was previously Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela from 2013 to 2021 and before that the Perma ...

, who was named to the position by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

on 26 October 2013. The Apostolic Nunciature to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is an ecclesiastical office of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, with the rank of an

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

. The

nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...

serves both as the ambassador of the Holy See to the

President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de Venezuela), officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the head of state and head of government in Ven ...

, and as delegate and point-of-contact between the

Catholic hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...

and the Pope. The office of Apostolic Nuncio is currently always assigned to titular archbishops. The Nunciature is located on the La Salle ('La Salle Avenue'), in Caracas 1050, in the , Venezuela.

History

The Apostolic Nunciature was established as the Apostolic Delegation to Venezuela, led by

Serafino Vannutelli Serafino Vannutelli (26 November 1834 – 19 August 1915) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal and official of the Roman Curia where he held several of the highest administrative posts. Made a cardinal in 1887, he was named ...

in 1869. It was the result of an effort by the Holy See to establish communication between the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

(

Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

) and the several Latin American states. Formal relations, however, were not established until March 21, 1920, when the delegation was elevated to the rank of nunciature.

Apostolic Nuncios to Venezuela

(23 July 1869 - 10 September 1875) * Rocco Cocchia, O.F.M. Cap. (13 July 1874 - 9 August 1883) *

Mario Mocenni Mario Mocenni (22 January 1823—14 November 1904) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who served both in Nuncio, the diplomatic service of the Holy See and in the Roman Curia, and was elevated to t ...

(14 August 1877 - 28 March 1882) * Spiridion-Salvatore-Costantino Buhadgiar (28 November 1890 - 10 August 1891) * Giulio Tonti (11 July 1892 - 24 February 1893) *

Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of Rome, Secretary of the Holy Of ...

(16 February 1918 - 4 December 1920) *

Fernando Cento Fernando Cento (10 August 1883 – 13 January 1973) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary. Early life Fernando Cento was born in Pollenza, Italy. His parents were Evaristo Cento and ...

(24 June 1926 - 26 July 1936) *

Luigi Centoz Luigi Centoz (2 April 1883 – 27 October 1969), also known as Louis Centoz, was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent more than five decades in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, either in Rome or serving in offices abroad. He b ...

(16 September 1936 - 19 February 1940) * Giuseppe Misuraca (2 July 1941 - March 1949) *

Armando Lombardi Armando Lombardi (12 May 1905 – 4 May 1964) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, including ten years as Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil. Biography Armando Lombardi was born on 12 May 190 ...

(13 February 1950 - 1954) *

Sergio Pignedoli Sergio Pignedoli (4 June 1910 – 15 June 1980) was a prominent Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a top candidate for pope. He served as auxiliary bishop to Pope Paul VI when he was archbishop of Milan, and as President of the ...

(19 October 1954 - 15 April 1955) *

Raffaele Forni Raffaele Forni (24 May 1906 – 29 September 1990) was a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He held the title of archbishop from 1953 and served a nuncio to Iran, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Syria ...

(24 September 1955 - 27 February 1960) *

Luigi Dadaglio Luigi Dadaglio (28 September 1914 – 22 August 1990) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Early life He was born in Sezzadio, Italy. He was educated at the Seminary of Acqui. He was ordained on ...

(28 October 1961 - 8 July 1967) * Felice Pirozzi (9 January 1967 - 17 October 1970) *

Antonio del Giudice Antonio del Giudice (1657–1733), duke of Giovinazzo, prince of Cellamare, was a Spanish nobleman and diplomat. Life Giudice was born at Naples. In 1715, he was made Spanish ambassador to France. An instrument in the hands of Giulio Alberoni ...

(2 December 1970 - 18 December 1974 ) *

Giovanni Mariani Giovanni Mariani (17 June 1919 – 23 January 1991) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He had the rank of archbishop and the title of nuncio from 1967. Biography Giovanni M ...

(11 January 1975 - January 1978) * Ubaldo Calabresi (5 January 1978 - 23 January 1981) *

Luciano Storero Luciano Storero (26 September 1926 – 1 October 2000) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Luciano Storero was born in Pinasca, Italy, on 26 September 1926. He was ordained ...

(2 February 1981 - 28 June 1990) *

Oriano Quilici Oriano Quilici (29 November 1929 – 2 November 1998) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Oriano Quilici was born on 29 November 1929 in the San Pietro a Vico quart ...

(11 July 1990 - 8 July 1997) *

Leonardo Sandri Leonardo Sandri (born 18 November 1943) is an Argentine prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since November 2007 and vice dean of the College of Cardinals since January 2020. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Chu ...

(22 July 1997 - 1 March 2000) *

André Dupuy André Pierre Louis Dupuy (born 13 February 1940) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1974 to 2015. Biography André Pierre Louis Dupuy was born on 13 February 1940 in Soustons, ...

(27 March 2000 - 24 February 2005) *

Giacinto Berloco Giacinto Berloco (born 31 August 1941) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and to Luxembourg from 2009 to 2016. Biography Born in Altamura, Italy, on 31 August 1941, Giacinto Berloco was o ...

(24 February 2005 - 18 June 2009) *

Pietro Parolin Pietro Parolin OMRI (, ; born 17 January 1955) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. A cardinal since February 2014, he has served as the Vatican's Secretary of State since October 2013 and a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers sinc ...

(17 August 2009 - 15 October 2013) *

(26 October 2013 - 8 May 2021)

References

{{Venezuela-stub