Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the very popular papal nuncio to the Philippines, will soon be leaving the country because of his appointment by Pope Francis as the new permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.
Ironically Archbishop Caccia will be succeeding Filipino Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who has been appointed new apostolic nuncio to Spain and Andorra.
Caccia has been praised by Philippine bishops for having facilitated the appointment of 18 new bishops in his short two-year stint in the country.
Appointed in September 2017, Caccia has also been very mobile and visited many parishes and dioceses in the remote regions.
Caccia told United Catholic News (Ucan) that he enjoyed his stay in the Philippines
“I don’t think I will find anywhere in the world people as friendly, as smiling, as open, as affectionate and so devoted as here in the Philippines,” he said.
As Vatican envoy to the United Nations in New York, Caccia said he would do his best “to bring the light of Catholic social teaching to the discussions and debates of the international community.”
“I look forward to helping the Holy See assist the United Nations in renewing its commitment to the pillars of its charter, preventing the scourge of war, defending human dignity and rights, promoting integral development, and fostering respect and implementation of international law and treaties,” said the archbishop.
Caccia will be the seventh permanent observer of the Vatican since the Holy See became a permanent observer state at the UN in 1964.