Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has named Archbishop Piero Pioppo as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and the Principality of Andorra, entrusting him with one of the Holy See’s most significant diplomatic missions in Europe.
Archbishop Pioppo, until recently Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings with him decades of experience in Vatican diplomacy, having served in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. His appointment underscores the Holy Father’s trust in his ability to navigate complex ecclesial and political realities while fostering dialogue between the Holy See and two nations with deep-rooted Catholic traditions.
Born in Savona, northern Italy, in 1960, Archbishop Pioppo entered the priesthood in 1985, incardinated into the Diocese of Acqui Terme. He pursued advanced studies in Dogmatic Theology, earning a doctorate, before joining the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1993. His early assignments took him to Korea and Chile, followed by years of service at the Secretariat of State in the Vatican.
In 2006, he was appointed Prelate of the Institute for the Works of Religion, better known as the Vatican Bank, where he worked on sensitive matters of financial oversight and transparency.
His diplomatic career gained further prominence when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Titular Archbishop of Torcello and Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea in 2010. He was ordained bishop later that year, and in 2017 Pope Francis sent him to Indonesia as Nuncio, expanding his mission the following year to include ASEAN.
Fluent in Italian, English, French, and Spanish, Archbishop Pioppo has been recognized for his capacity to build bridges across cultures and continents. His years in Southeast Asia involved not only representing the Vatican to governments but also strengthening ties with the local Church in a region marked by religious diversity and minority Catholic communities.
Now, as he takes up his new mission in Spain and Andorra, Archbishop Pioppo enters a context where the Church is deeply intertwined with national history yet also faces modern challenges such as secularization, dialogue with civil authorities, and the pastoral care of an evolving society.
Spain, with its centuries-old Catholic tradition, continues to play a key role in Europe’s religious and political landscape. The Apostolic Nuncio serves as the Pope’s representative to the Spanish government and Church, ensuring close collaboration on issues ranging from religious freedom to humanitarian concerns. Andorra, though smaller in size, holds symbolic importance as one of the few nations where the head of state is a bishop the Co-Prince of Andorra is traditionally the Bishop of Urgell.
With this new appointment, Pope Leo XIV has entrusted Archbishop Pioppo with guiding the Church’s diplomatic and pastoral presence in two territories central to European Catholic identity. His extensive experience across continents is expected to aid him in addressing contemporary challenges while fostering unity between the Vatican, Spain, and Andorra.