Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria to Represent Pope Francis in Poland in New Appointment

His early assignments were the Nunciatures in Sri Lanka, Austria, and Germany and then in Rome in the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.

Prior to his mission to Indonesia, he was a member of the delegation of the Holy See to the Italian-Vatican Joint Commission, established to deepen the concordat profiles related to the free fulfillment of the Ministry of Bishops and to the related criminal procedural questions.

In January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Nuncio to Indonesia assigning him the Titular See of  Sutrium in Italy with the dignity of Archbishop.

The Nuncio who was ordained Bishop in February 2011 has represented the Holy Father in Nigeria since April 2017. In October 2017, he was also appointed permanent observer at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

During his mission in Nigeria, Archbishop Filipazzi has always insisted on the need for unity among in the West African nation that is facing divisions based on ethnicity and religion.

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In his one of his homilies, he urged the pioneer Bishop of the newly created Catholic Diocese of Wukari to be the visible principle and foundation of unity of his Church.

“The new Bishop will have to counteract those factors, which tend to disrupt the unity of the Church and social harmony, especially that mentality which makes one’s ethnic group and place the first and fundamental criterion of thought and action, even to the point of violating God’s law and the life and dignity of other human beings,” the Italian Prelate told Bishop Mark Maigida Nzukwein during his Episcopal Ordination.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.