 |
Antonio MenniniApostolic Nuncio, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, representative of the Holy See in the Russian Federation.
Date of Birth: 02.09.1947
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Antonio Mennini
Antonio Mennini was born on November 2, 1947, in Rome. He became a priest in 1974 and holds a degree in theology. In 2000, he was consecrated as a bishop. In April 1981, he joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has served in diplomatic missions of the Catholic Church in Uganda and Turkey. Before coming to Moscow, he was a representative of the Vatican in Bulgaria. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, and Russian languages.
Official Diplomatic Relations
Official diplomatic relations between Russia and the Vatican were established for the first time in 1816. However, they were interrupted for almost 30 years half a century later. After the second rupture in 1917, relations were resumed in 1990.
The New Nuncio
The newly appointed nuncio (Vatican's ambassador), Antonio Mennini, presented his credentials to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and expressed his great honor to represent the Holy See and the Pope in the noble country of Russia. However, Monsignor Mennini will have to work in a challenging environment, as relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church have become noticeably strained. In February of the previous year, without prior negotiations with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Vatican established a parallel jurisdiction in Russia, which caused a strongly negative reaction.
