The New Apostolic Nuncio to India His Excellency, Most Rev. Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro has arrived in India. Travelling by Air India flight from Rome, the Apostolic Nuncio touched Indian soil at 7.51 a.m. on 16th February, 2017.
He was received at the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport by His Eminence Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, His Eminence Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly; Most Rev. Anil Couto, Archbishop of Delhi; Most Rev. Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX, Secretary General of CBCI; Most Rev. Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, Archbishop-Bishop of Faridabad; Most Rev. Jacob Mar Barnabas, OIC, Bishop of Gurgaon and the Officials from the Nunciature, Msgr. Henryk M. Jagodzinski and Msgr. Tuomo T. Vimpari.
His Excellency was offered a flower bouquet by Cardinal Cleemis, and honoured with a shawl each by Cardinal Alencherry and Archbishop Anil Couto.
This is the New Apostolic Nuncio’s first ever posting in an Asian Country as he has served mostly in the Secretariat of State, in Italy and in Latin American countries. As stated by him except for a short visit to Korea and another one to Japan, he has not otherwise been to Asia.
In our first interaction with him, he impressed us all with his simplicity, pleasantness, humour and, above all, his already impressive knowledge of India.
Archbishop Diquattro before coming to India has visited Colleges and Religious Communities where Indian Priests and Religious residing in Rome and acquainted himself with Indians and our Culture. We thank God for the gift of his person to us.
We accord a warm welcome to our beloved Apostolic Nuncio. We look forward to work with him and we assure him of our prayers and wish him all God’s blessings and much joy and happiness in our Beloved Country. May our Lady, Queen of Apostles guide him and accompany him.
Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX
Secretary General
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India