Vatican’s 12th Nuncio to the Philippines arrives
MANILA – Archbishop Charles John Brown, the Vatican’s 12th Apostolic Nuncio arrived in Manila Sunday morning and was met by Kalookan Bishop and CBCP Vice President Pablo Virgilio David and Paranaque Bishop Jesse Mercado.
According to CBCPNews, Archbishop Brown arrived at 7:20 A.M. today at the NAIA Terminal 2 on board a Philippine Air Lines flight from New York City.
Personnel from the Apostolic Nunciature were also on hand to welcome the 61-year old Apostolic Nuncio. PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar and his staff were also at the NAIA to welcome the diplomat from the Vatican.
From the airport, the archbishop prayed at the Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish church in Paranaque. It was his first visit to a church in the country. Said to be a devotee of Our Lady of Good Counsel when assigned to Albania, prior to his assignment to Manila.
He was appointed by Pope Francis as Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines last September 28,2020. He succeeded Archbishop Gabriella Giordano Caccia who was posted head of the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York.
He will represent the Vatican State to the Philippine government while representing the Holy Father to the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
As standard in many Catholic countries, the Apostolic Nuncio acts as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. He is expected to present his credentials to Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. prior to his call on President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang.
There have been seven representatives from the Vatican who were assigned to the Philippines as early as 1900 with the establishment of the Apostolic Nunciature in 1902.
Diplomatic relations between the Vatican State and the Philippines began on August 9,1951 when the Vatican upgraded its Apostolic Delegation to Apostolic Nunciature. There have been 11 Apostolic Nuncios from 1951 prior to the arrival of Archbishop Charles John Brown. (Melo M. Acuña)
Archbishop Charles John Brown (right, first photo) meets with government officials at the NAIA Terminal II Sunday morning. The latest Papal Nuncio to the Philippines prayed at the Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish Church in the Diocese of Paranaque immediately after his arrival. (Photos from San Nicolas de Tolentino Archdiocesan Shrine and Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish/CBCP News)