Monsignor Jude Okolo, counsellor at Canberra’s Apostolic Nunciature, appointed Nuncio to Chad and Central African Republic.
By Anthony Barich
Monsignor Jude Thaddeus Okolo, counsellor the Apostolic Nunciature in Canberra, has moved up in the world after Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Chad and the Central African Republic.
The Holy Father made public the appointment on August 2, and also elevated Mgr Okolo to the dignity of Archbishop.
Archbishop Philip Wilson, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said Okolo is well prepared for the role, having served as the assistant to Australia’s Apostolic Nuncio with panache.
“I am delighted that Mgr Okolo, who has served both the current and the previous Apostolic Nuncio in Australia so well, will now take on that role himself,” Archbishop Wilson said.
“The Australian Catholic Bishops and all Catholic people congratulate him on this appointment.
“The Catholic community in Australia bids farewell to him sadly because his presence among us has been such a joy. We wish him well as he takes up this new challenge and assure him of our prayers.” The 51-year-old Archbishop-elect was born in Kano, Nigeria and ordained a priest on July 2, 1983.
He holds a Doctorate in Canon Law and entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 1990, serving in Sri Lanka, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Switzerland and Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic.
He has been Counsellor at Australia’s Apostotlic Nunciature since 2006 and is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Igbo and basic Czech.
He was assistant to Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli until he returned home to the United States to die last October, and his successor, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, the former Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq and to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, among other diplomatic posts.
Archbishop Lazzarotto arrived in Australia on May 4 after being appointed last December.