By Paschal Norbert
VATICAN CITY, JULY 16, 2024 (CISA) – Pope Francis has appointed Most Rev Michael Francis Crotty as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, thereby transferring him from his current diplomatic role as nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger.
Archbishop Crotty, born on March 26, 1970, was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland, on July 3, 1994. He was elevated to the rank of Archbishop and appointed to the titular See of Lindisfarne on February 1, 2020, when Pope Francis appointed him as the Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso.
Having joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2001, Archbishop Crotty has held various key roles. He served as Secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya from 2001 to 2004 and as Deputy Head of Mission of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to UNEP and UN-HABITAT. From 2004 to 2007, he was First Secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Canada, Ottawa, followed by a term as First Secretary in Iraq (Baghdad) and Jordan (Amman) from 2007 to 2009.
Returning to the Vatican in 2009, Archbishop Crotty worked as an Official of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State until 2017. He then served as First Counsellor at the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain, Madrid, until his appointment to Burkina Faso in 2020.
Reacting to the news of his appointment, Most Rev Lucius Iwejuru Ugojri, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, said the appointment was a testament to the strong spiritual bond between “our countries, recalling that many Irish missionaries played a significant role in spreading the faith in Nigeria.”
“We also celebrate the historic connection between our nations, as Archbishop Crotty becomes our first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland, just as Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, who served as the first Apostolic Nuncio from Nigeria in Ireland. We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation,” he said, adding “On behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), clergy, religious, and lay faithful in Nigeria. We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.”
