Archbishop Lingua ends his tour of duty as Holy See nuncio to Jordan, Iraq

By Abouna.org

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) announced Wednesday, March 18, that Pope Francis had named Archbishop Giorgio Lingua as apostolic nuncio to the Republic of Cuba succeeding former ambassador Archbishop Bruno Musarò who had earlier been named as apostolic nuncio to Egypt. Archbishop Lingua had served in the Vatican diplomatic corps since 1992 before becoming archbishop and before serving as apostolic nuncio for the first time to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Iraqi Republic.

The CCS added is a statement issued today: “Archbishop Lingua leaves today for a new mission after having experienced one of the most important and dangerous stages in the Middle East which witnessed the unprecedented sprouting of extremist movements, as well as the oppression practised against Christians in Iraq and their unpredictable future particularly for those living in Jordan. The bishop, who was ordained archbishop on the eve of the convening of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East in the Vatican, demonstrated over his five years of service his affection for the displaced and the suffering. He also paid tribute and support for the charity organizations that provide their services to the displaced brethren, particularly the Catholic associations that serve everyone without exception. The latest activity he had a month ago was sponsoring and organizing, alongside Caritas Jordan, the conference of charity associations that help alleviate the suffering of the displaced Iraqis.

The statement continued: “It is to be noted that Archbishop Lingua, who learned Arabic and mastered Mass celebrations in Arabic, had made preparations for receiving Pope Francis during his visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, being the first leg of his historic pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land, in its capacity as the first visit of the pope of simplicity and humility to the Middle East. Lingua leaves for Cuba at a time when US-Cuban détente is witnessed. US President Obama earlier announced that Pope Francis had contributed to the normalization of relations in the wake of the lingering state of stalemate. He, consequently, comes to Cuba--with a career starting in 1992--at a time when the Holy See diplomacy is highly appreciated.

With the end of his term of duty, Archbishop Lingua said in press statements:  "The diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which we celebrated last year its 20th anniversary, are definitely a step in the right direction, and this is attributed to the wisdom of the Hashemite leadership in the Kingdom of Jordan and the papal leadership in the Vatican. What instills satisfaction is to realize that up to this very day there are those who believe without hesitation that peace is possible, and that it can be attained through dialogue, cooperation as well as through unstinting endeavors to bring about the common good.” He stressed that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Holy See jointly and indefatigably strive to entrench permanent peace and stability in the region, that they are convinced that this will be possible only through the goodwill of everyone, without exception, and that there will be no peace unless human rights of all people are respected particularly the most vulnerable.

He added: "I have felt the brotherly love in Jordan. For example, a young mechanic fixed my car under heavy rain, and instead of exploiting me being a foreigner, he told me: ‘You are welcome in Jordan.’ I never met him before and I might not see him in the future, but he made me know that I was welcome as a brother and a friend.’’ He concluded his statement by saying: “I hope that the Jordanian people will continue its march as a model of religious and peaceful coexistence among the various components of society.”

The Holy See has not yet named the successor of Archbishop Lingua, namely the nuncio to Jordan and Iraq.

The statement--issued by Fr. Rif’at Bader, director of the CCSM which was established by the Latin Patriarchate in 2012--paid tribute to Archbishop Lingua for his benevolent and noble efforts, as well as for his cooperation with the heads of the local churches, with the civil and political authorities, and with the citizens and with those arriving in Jordan and Iraq. The statement also wishes him a blessed and successful mission in Cuba so as to continue incorporating the diplomatic action with the culture of meeting, love and compassion with those suffering in the world.