Archbishop Nicola Girasoli has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio Holy See to Guyana after presenting his letters of credence to President Donald Ramotar last Monday, pledging to do his best in the promotion of the greater good of the country.
Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Guyana, Archbishop Nicola Girasoli presents his letters of credence to President Donald Ramotar in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Foreign Affairs Ministry Director General Elizabeth Harper
Archbishop Girasoli, in the company of President of the Bishop’s Conference Bahamian Archbishop Patrick Pinder and Bishop Francis Alleyne of Georgetown told President Ramotar about the social doctrine of the Catholic Church to promote solidarity and charity to the poor and vulnerable and service to the people regardless of religious persuasions.
Youth development is also key to the religious body’s philosophy, since, according to Archbishop Girasoli, the next generation should coexist in an environment of mutual respect and the promotion of human rights.
The accreditation came with greetings from Pope Benedict XVI and the acknowledgement that the bilateral tie between the Holy See and the Guyana government has been good over the years. The partnership is one which President Ramotar hailed as promising, recognising that the religious community has an important role to play in the promotion of peace and harmony in society.
“The Catholic Church has made, and is continuing to make, very valuable contributions to the advancement of Guyana. I am confident that we can continue to draw on its spiritual, moral and educational resources for guidance, as we pursue policies aimed at economic and social development of our nation,” President Ramotar said.
The Guyana government’s appreciation of the Vatican’s advocacy role on the international arena in the interest of the poor was conveyed by President Ramotar who assured that Guyana looks forward to collaboration with the Holy See at the bilateral and multilateral levels to realise shared aspirations. He told the archbishop about the Guyana government’s policy that every Guyanese has a right enshrined in the Constitution to propagate his/ her religion.
The accreditation came one day after of the commencement of the annual general meeting of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) where bishops and archbishops from the Roman Catholic Church in English-, French- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries meet.
Archbishop Girasoli, who holds a doctorate in canon law, was ordained a priest in June 1980 with incardination in the diocese of Ruvodi Puglia and has been in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1985.
His tenure of service includes the post of papal representative in Indonesia and Australia and in the General Affairs of the Secretariat of State in the Vatican. His first assignment as head of mission was in January 2006 as the Apostolic Nuncio in Zambia and in Malawi. The Italian archbishop is also versed in English, French and Spanish.
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