Carolina Gomez Mena
Newspaper La Jornada
Friday, July 8, 2022, p. eleven
After little more than six months of the apostolic nunciature in Mexico being headless, Pope Francis reported yesterday that he appointed the successor of Franco Coppola, who left the country on January 1 of this year to begin his assignment as nuncio in Belgium.
The Argentine pontiff appointed Joseph Spiteri as the new representative of the Vatican in the country and on this, Rogelio Cabrera López, president of the Episcopate Conference in Mexico (CEM), and Ramón Castro, general secretary of the episcopal body, expressed that the CEM is filled with joy at the recent appointment that His Holiness Pope Francis has made to the people of Mexico by designating Monsignor Joseph Spiteri as apostolic nuncio of our country
.
Spiteri was born in Sliema (Malta) in May 1959, he is 63 years old and has a solid diplomatic experience in peripheral regions
from developing countries, considered the specialist in religious affairs Felipe Monroy.
He has been apostolic nuncio in Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast and in Lebanon, he speaks English, Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Besides, he knows Mexico; he had a position in the Vatican representation in the country.
Monroy highlighted that he deployed in some of those countries (Sri Lanka, at the end of the civil war) peacemaking agendas
. Then in the Ivory Coast he issued various messages of peace and called for political dialogue, amid riots, riots and strikes. In Lebanon he spoke out for the release of political prisoners, the return of exiles and advocated dialogue between politicians, among other tasks.
On the issue of violence in Mexico, the CEM assured that the Catholic Church he has always raised his voice, he has worked for peace
Y has been and will be concerned about the welfare of our country
.
