Pope names Bicolano new apostolic nuncio to Australia

MANILA, Philippines - Pope Francis recently announced the appointment of a 67-year-old Filipino archbishop to represent the Holy See in Australia.

CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), reported that the pope has given Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana a new assignment.

Yllana, currently the apostolic nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo, would soon assume the post as apostolic nuncio to Australia.

He will replace Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who now serves as the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states.

Yllana, a native of Naga City, was ordained priest by the Archdiocese of Caceres in March 1972. He has a doctorate in Civil and Canon Law.

After taking up international diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Service in Rome, he entered the diplomatic service of the Vatican and was assigned to his first post in 2001 as the nuncio to Papua New Guinea.

He had also served as the pope’s diplomatic representative in the Solomon Islands and Pakistan.

Following Yllana’s appointment last Feb. 17, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) thanked Pope Francis and welcomed the Vatican envoy.

“Archbishop Yllana brings wide and diverse experience, great faith and priestly gifts. We assure him of a warm and enthusiastic welcome upon his arrival and service here in Australia,” ACBC president Archbishop Denis Hart said in a statement.

Yllana speaks English, Spanish, Italian and French.

There are at least four other Filipinos serving as the pope’s envoy to different countries: Bohol-native Archbishop Bernardito Auza is currently the Vatican’s permanent representative to the United Nations.