Pope Francis named a Filipino archbishop, who helped lead and rebuild the church in Haiti after its devastating earthquake, as the Vatican representative at the United Nations in New York. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, 55, the nuncio to Haiti, was appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, replacing Indian Archbishop Francis Chullikatt. Vatican Radio made the announcement July 1. Auza is the first ever Filipino appointed to such a lofty position in the Vatican officialdom. Confirming the announcement July 2, the Vatican press office did not say what 61-year-old Archbishop Chullikatt's new assignment would be. Archbishop Auza was ordained a priest of Diocese of Talibon, Philippines, in 1985. He entered the Vatican diplomatic corps in 1990 and served in Madagascar, Bulgaria and Albania, then worked at the Vatican Secretariat of State. From 2006 to 2008 he worked at the Holy See's Permanent Observer Mission at the United Nations.

Named nuncio to Haiti in 2008, he was serving there when the deadly Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake hit and destroyed much of western Haiti. With three key Port-au-Prince archdiocesan leaders dead and scores of other religious killed or missing, Archbishop Auza took a leading role in stabilizing and helping rebuild the church. At least 316,000 people died in the quake. As nuncio, he was also the key player in channeling relief money from the Vatican and other church sources to local needs and in helping make key decisions on project priorities and spending funds transparently by setting up an independent "inspection" commission. "We have to start the reconstruction with very solid principles to avoid confusion and disappointments and ill feelings of those who are willing to help," he said a month after the quake. He helped local projects raise funds and focused efforts on encouraging new and capable church leaders, as well as on building a better and more adequate infrastructure for the church with seminaries, schools, parishes and housing.

EARLY LIFE

Born on June 10, 1959 in Talibon, Bohol, Philippines, is the eight of twelve children of parents Meliton Garcia Auza and Magdalena Polestico Cleopas. After preliminary education in Talibon, he entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City. He then enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, where he obtained his Licentiate in Philosophy in 1981, Licentiate in Theology in 1986 and Masters in Education also in 1986. Auza was ordained by Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California on June 29, 1985. Auza was sent to the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1989 and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1990, and to the Vatican Diplomatic School (Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica), where he finished his diplomatic and linguistic studies in that same year.

DIPLOMATIC CAREER

He has a long experience in diplomatic service for the Holy See among these are: Madagascar and the South Indian Ocean (1990–93), Bulgaria (1993–96), Albania (1997–98), Secretariat of State (Vatican) at the Section for Relations with States (“Foreign Ministry”) of the Holy See (1999–2006), Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the UN (2006–2008).

EPISCOPATE

Auza was appointed Titular Archbishop of Suacia on May 8, 2008, the same day he was appointed the Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti. He was consecrated as a bishop on July 3, 2008, the principal consecrator being Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone. The principal co-consecrators were Ivan Dias, the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Jean-Louis Tauran, Cardinal President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Archbishop Auza has served in the diplomatic service of the Vatican for many years. On July 1, 2014, Archbishop Auza was appointed Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York representing the Holy See, by Pope Francis replacing Archbishop Francis Chullikatt.(with news reporting by CAROL GLATZ/TheBostonPilot)