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Fortunatus NwachukwuNigerian Curial Prelate and Vatican Diplomat
Date of Birth: 10.05.1960
Country:  Nigeria |
Content:
- Fortúnatus Nwachukwu: A Life Dedicated to Vatican Diplomacy
- Diplomatic Career in the Holy See
- Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio
- Ambassador to Caribbean Nations
- Permanent Observer to UN Organizations in Geneva
- Publications and Languages
Fortúnatus Nwachukwu: A Life Dedicated to Vatican Diplomacy
Early Life and EducationFortúnatus Nwachukwu was born on May 10, 1960, in Ntigha, Nigeria. He pursued studies in philosophy and theology at Bigard Memorial Seminary, later renamed Saint Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene. On June 17, 1984, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Aba, Nigeria.
Nwachukwu subsequently served as a pastor in Ibeku-Umuahia and as student chaplain at Umudike College of Agriculture and the Umudike campus of Alvan Ikoku College of Education. He also held various formation roles, including Dean and Vice Rector of the Immaculate Conception Seminary, Umuahia.
As a biblicist, Nwachukwu specialized in biblical studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and the Pontifical Urbaniana University. He also studied at the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt am Main and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Additionally, he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He holds licentiate degrees in Sacred Scripture (LSS) and Old Testament Textual Criticism. His doctoral dissertation in dogmatic theology focused on the relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel, and he obtained a doctorate in canon law.
Diplomatic Career in the Holy See
Nwachukwu formally entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1994, and served in various diplomatic missions. He worked as secretary at the Apostolic Nunciatures in Ghana, Togo, and Benin (Accra) and at the Nunciatures in Paraguay, Algeria, and Tunisia. He also served as a consultant at the Mission of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations.
Following his work in the diplomatic field, Nwachukwu joined the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, specifically the Section for Relations with States. On July 8, 1995, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon him the honorary title of Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor), and on August 4, 2004, the title of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness.
Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio
On April 9, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Nwachukwu to succeed Tommaso Caputo as Head of Protocol at the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. On November 12, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named him Titular Archbishop of Aquaviva and Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua. He was ordained a bishop on January 6, 2013, by Pope Benedict XVI himself, assisted by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See, and Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Ambassador to Caribbean Nations
On November 4, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Nwachukwu as Apostolic Nuncio to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica, and Apostolic Delegate to the Antilles.
In subsequent appointments, Pope Francis named him Apostolic Nuncio to Grenada, Saint Lucia, and The Bahamas (February 27, 2018); Apostolic Nuncio to Suriname (March 9, 2018); and Apostolic Nuncio to Belize (September 8, 2018).
Permanent Observer to UN Organizations in Geneva
On December 17, 2021, Pope Francis appointed Fortúnatus Nwachukwu as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations offices and specialized agencies in Geneva, the World Trade Organization, and the International Organization for Migration.
Publications and Languages
Nwachukwu has published several books and scholarly articles. In addition to English, he is fluent in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Hebrew, as well as the biblical languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
