Luanda - The Apostolic Nuncio to Angola, Giovanni Gaspari, on Tuesday said goodbye to the Vice-President of Angola, Esperança da Costa, in Luanda, after a three and a half years mission in the country.
Speaking to the press, the representative of Pope Francis thanked the Angolan government for its support during his work in the country.
Giovanni Gaspari spoke of the excellent relations of cooperation between the Angolan state and the Holy See, especially in relation to issues linked to "humanitarian initiatives, education, health, inter-religious dialogue, the promotion of peace and social justice".
The Apostolic Nuncio raised the possibility of Pope Francis visiting Angola in the near future.
Regarding his mandate, he said that it had been "a remarkable and satisfying mission and, for this reason, I leave Angola with the feeling of having done my duty".
The Nuncio added that one of the greatest achievements during his work in Angola was witnessing the elevation of an Angolan priest to the highest rank in the Catholic Church, in a ceremony held in the province of Cunene.
Born in 1963, Mgr Giovanni Gaspari, a native of Abruzzo (Italy), has been a priest since 1987.
Giovanni Gaspari studied Canon Law and graduated in Moral Theology.
He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2001 and served in pontifical diplomatic missions in Iran, Albania, Mexico and Lithuania and then worked for a period in the Secretariat of State, in the Section for Relations with States.
In September 2020, Pope Francis sent him as nuncio to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.
After Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, Giovanni Gaspari will fulfill the same functions in South Korea and Mongolia, replacing Alfred Xuereb. FMA/ART/DAN/AMP
