Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil receives the President General in audience
On October 26, the Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil, Monsignor Giambattista Diquattro, was kind enough to receive in audience the 16 th President General International of the SSVP, brother Renato Lima de Oliveira, at the Apostolic Nunciature headquarters in Brasilia, the country’s capital.
President Lima de Oliveira gave the Nuncio the golden medal of the beatification of Antoine-Frederic Ozanam, providing additional information about the canonization. He was also offered the Council General Five-Year Report (2016-2021) and a few Vincentian books.
Thanking the President General, Msgr. Giambattista showed great interest in the work of the SSVP around the world, asking brother Renato several questions. In addition, the Most Reverend Nuncio invited the President General to give a lecture about the worldwide Vincentian work at a lunch event that will be attended by all staff and religious persons who are serving the Nunciature.
The Apostolic Nuncio is equivalent to Ambassador of the Holy See. Msgr. Giambattista, 68 years old, is from Bologna, Italy. He was ordained priest in 1981 and bishop in 2005. He has been Nuncio in Panama (2005-2008), in Bolivia (2008-2017), in India and Nepal (2017-2020). Pope Francis appointed him Nuncio to Brazil in August 2020.
Giambattista Diquattro holds a master’s degree in Civil Law, a doctorate in Canon Law and a master’s degree in Dogmatic Theology. Before becoming nuncio, he had served in diplomatic missions in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad. He also served to the United Nations (New York), the Vatican Secretariat of State and the Apostolic
Nunciature in Italy.
“I consider the audience exceeded all expectations. The nuncio is a very pleasant and welcoming person. It struck me that he is very knowledgeable about Ozanam’s legacy and follows our activities in the various countries of the world,” said brother Renato.
In all the countries where he travels, it is customary for the President General to visit Church leaders and to maintain contacts with representatives of the clergy, among them the Apostolic Nuncios, who play a strategic role in diplomatic relations between the Vatican and all the nations.
