New Nuncio presents diplomatic credentials to King Charles III

The new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain has presented his diplomatic credentials to King Charles III.

Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, a Spaniard who speaks six languages, then left Buckingham Palace to formally read out his mandate during a Mass at Westminster Cathedral, London, which was celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The Apostolic Nuncio is the personal representative of Pope Francis to the Court of St James’s – the royal court for the Sovereign of the UK. His role is equivalent to that of an ambassador, representing the Holy See to the UK Government.

Cardinal Nichols in his homily said that the new nuncio is a “gift” to Catholics in Britain and “a way of strengthening our communion with Peter and of us taking our place in the Catholic Church throughout the world”.

The cardinal said: “The bonds between the Bishop of Rome, our Holy Father, and the Catholics of this country have always been strong. They continue to be so. We are a faithful people.

“There are many in our history who have given their lives, their wealth, their health, to maintain this fidelity and witness to it. One lies here in the Cathedral, our own martyr, Saint John Southworth, whom we venerate and honour with great love.

“It is, then, with this depth of faith – in our history and in our hearts – that this evening we welcome our new Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, sent among us as the personal representative of Pope Francis. Your Excellency, dear Archbishop, you are most welcome and we assure you of our prayers for you, now and throughout your years of service to the Apostolic See.

Madrid-born Archbishop Maury Buendía replaces Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, an Italian who was named by the Holy Father as prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches in November 2022.

Archbishop Maury Buendía, 67, has previously served as Apostolic Nuncio to Romania, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

He was born into an Andalusian family and studied under the Jesuits at Malaga before attending university in Madrid.

He studied philosophy and theology at the Conciliar Seminary of Madrid and was ordained a priest for the archdiocese in June 1980.

He went on to gain a degree in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca in 1985 and then a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum university in Rome in 1987.

He entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in July 1987, serving in diplomatic missions in several countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, Morocco, Egypt, Slovenia and Ireland. He was also a professor at the National Seminary of Nicaragua.

In 2004, he was called to the Section for Relations with States within the Secretariat of State of the Holy See with responsibility for south east Europe.

Four years later, in 2008, he was appointed titular Archbishop of Italica and Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Romania in 2015, and to the Republic of Moldova in January 2016.

Besides Spanish, Archbishop Maury Buendía speaks or has good knowledge of English, Italian, French, Russian and Slovene.

(Photo: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk)