Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, the current Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria, has been designated by Pope Francis as his envoy to Poland, a central European nation. The Holy See Press Office confirmed this transfer of the Italian Archbishop from West Africa to Poland on Tuesday, August 8.
Born in October 1963 in the Archdiocese of Milano, Archbishop Filipazzi was ordained a Priest of Italy’s Genova-Bobbio Diocese in June 1987. He later became a part of the Ventimiglia-San Remo Diocese in September 1989.
Archbishop Filipazzi’s ministry as a Priest included serving as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Ventimiglia and teaching canon law at the Episcopal Seminary Pio XI of Bordighera.
Having earned a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and a diploma from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he began his diplomatic service with the Holy See in July 1992.
He embarked on his diplomatic journey with assignments at the Nunciatures in Sri Lanka, Austria, and Germany, followed by a position in Rome within the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.
Prior to his mission in Indonesia, Archbishop Filipazzi contributed to the delegation of the Holy See to the Italian-Vatican Joint Commission, focusing on concordat aspects linked to the Ministry of Bishops’ free execution and related criminal procedural matters.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Nuncio to Indonesia in January 2011, bestowing upon him the Titular See of Sutrium in Italy along with the title of Archbishop.
Ordained a Bishop in February 2011, he represented the Holy Father in Nigeria since April 2017. In October 2017, he was designated the permanent observer at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Throughout his tenure in Nigeria, Archbishop Filipazzi consistently emphasized the urgency of unity within a nation that faced divisions rooted in ethnicity and religion.
In one of his homilies, he encouraged the inaugural Bishop of the newly established Catholic Diocese of Wukari to serve as the visible foundation of unity in his Church.
Archbishop Filipazzi stated, “The new Bishop will need to counteract factors that threaten the Church’s unity and societal harmony, particularly the mindset that prioritizes one’s ethnic group and origin as the primary criteria for decisions and actions, even if it means disregarding God’s law and the life and dignity of fellow human beings.” This counsel was imparted during the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Mark Maigida Nzukwein.
Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi’s diverse and impactful journey in the service of the Church has now led him to take up the role of representing Pope Francis in Poland, underscoring his continued commitment to fostering unity and understanding.
