Vatican's Former PH Envoy Gets Biggest Gig: Pope Leo Sends Him to Washington as US Ambassador
Pope Leo XIV just made a power move. On Saturday, March 7, the first-ever American pope appointed Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia — the same diplomat who served as Vatican envoy to the Philippines during Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs — as the Holy See's new ambassador to the United States.
Caccia, 68, spent two years in Manila before moving to New York as the Vatican's UN observer in 2020. During his time in the Philippines, he was known for tamping down tensions between local Catholic bishops and Duterte, who frequently bashed Church officials in his speeches. He now heads to Washington to replace retiring Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who held the post since 2016.
The appointment is loaded with significance. It comes amid Vatican criticism of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with the Vatican's top diplomat Cardinal Parolin saying the military campaign undermined international law. Pope Leo himself has called Trump's immigration crackdown 'inhuman,' setting the stage for what could be a tense diplomatic relationship.
Caccia's role goes beyond diplomacy — the Vatican ambassador to the US also recommends which American priests should become bishops, basically shaping the spiritual direction for 72 million American Catholics. Originally from Milan, he previously served as ambassador to Lebanon and spent seven years as the third-ranking official in the Vatican's powerful Secretariat of State.
Washington is considered one of the Vatican's most important diplomatic postings, and Caccia is the first ambassador to have served at the UN before taking the role. With US bishops already ramping up criticism of Trump, expect fireworks. The PH connection makes this appointment extra interesting for Filipinos watching Vatican politics.
Source: Reuters
