By KT Reporter
In his fourth round of episcopal appointments and resignations since assuming the papacy, Pope Leo XIV has reassigned Archbishop Luigi Bianco, who has been serving as the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda since 2019. According to a bulletin released by the Holy See Press Office, the Italian prelate has been appointed to a new diplomatic post in Europe, where he will serve as Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Apostolic Delegate for Kosovo.
“The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Luigi Bianco, titular of Falerone, until now apostolic nuncio in Uganda, as apostolic nuncio in Slovenia and apostolic delegate for Kosovo,” the Vatican statement reads in part. At the time of the announcement, no successor has been named for the Uganda posting.
Archbishop Bianco, 65, is a veteran Vatican diplomat with decades of experience in the Holy See’s foreign service. Before his assignment to Uganda, he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Honduras (2009–2014), and to Ethiopia and Djibouti (2014–2019), while also holding the roles of Apostolic Delegate to Somalia and Special Representative to the African Union.
In Uganda, he succeeded American Archbishop Michael August Blume, who has since retired from active service. Over his five-year tenure, Bianco was a familiar face at episcopal ordinations, national liturgical events, and various initiatives organized by the Uganda Episcopal Conference, individual dioceses, and other religious communities.
The Apostolic Nuncio functions as both the Pope’s ambassador to the host country and his official representative to the local Catholic Church. According to Canon Law, the nuncio’s responsibilities include maintaining diplomatic relations, facilitating communication with local bishops, assisting in the selection of new bishops, and upholding unity and adherence to Church teachings.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Uganda, which Archbishop Bianco has led since 2019, was established in 1966 after the Vatican decided to separate the Delegation to East Africa, which had been based in Nairobi, Kenya. Uganda formally established diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1967. Since then, the country has received nine papal envoys, who have helped strengthen relations between the Vatican, the local Church, and the Ugandan government. The Apostolic Nuncio has also played a key role in facilitating three papal visits to Uganda.
The title of the Holy See’s representative in Uganda changed from “Apostolic Pro-Nuncio” to “Apostolic Nuncio” in 1999, in line with Vatican reforms in its diplomatic protocols. Archbishop Bianco’s reassignment underscores Pope Leo XIV’s continued reorganization of the Vatican’s global diplomatic corps-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
