Luigi Punzolo (24 May 1905 – 27 July 1989) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service 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 ...

for thirty years. He became an archbishop in 1955 and served as Apostolic Nuncio until 1967. He spent another ten years as a diocesan administrator.

Biography

Luigi Punzolo was born on 24 May 1905 in

Pozzuoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα� ...

, Italy. He was ordained a priest on 14 August 1927. To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered the

Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy ( la, Pontificia Ecclesiastica Academia, it, Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica) is one of the Roman Colleges of the Catholic Church. The academy is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic c ...

in 1932. His early assignments were in Austria and Czechoslovakia. Beginning in 1942 he worked in Rome on the exchange of prisoners of war and civilian populations. On 6 December 1954,

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

named him titular archbishop of Sebastea ( it) and Apostolic Nuncio to Paraguay. He received his episcopal consecration on 16 January 1955 from Cardinal Clemente Micara. On 12 December 1957, Pope Pius appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Panama. On 10 January 1962,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

appointed him Apostolic Internuncio to Syria. His title changed to Pro-Nuncio on 2 February 1966. His service in the diplomatic corps ended with the appointment of his successor in Syria,

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 ...

, on 17 June 1967. On 2 October 1967, Pope Paul named him Apostolic Administrator of Velletri. He retired from that position on 24 May 1975, his 70th birthday. He died in Velletri on 27 July 1989.

References

External links

Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop Luigi Punzolo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Punzolo, Luigi 1905 births 1989 deaths Clergy from Naples Apostolic Nuncios to Paraguay Apostolic Nuncios to Panama Apostolic Nuncios to Syria Diplomats from Naples