The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop HENRYK MIECZYSŁAW JAGODZIŃSKI, as Apostolic Nuncio to South Africa and Lesotho. The transfers of Archbishop Jagodziński from the Apostolic Nunciature of Ghana, was made public by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, April 16. The Pretoria Apostolic Nunciature has been under the administration of the Charge d’Affaires of Msgr. Dario Pavisa since February 2023.
Born in Malogoszcz, Poland on 11 January 1969, Archbishop Jagodziński was ordained a Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kielce in the Central European country in June 1995.
He entered the Holy See diplomatic service in 2001 and has since served in the Pontifical Representations in Belarus, Croatia, and India as well as the Vatican’s Section for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State. Assigned the Titular See Limosano at his Episcopal Consecration in July 2020, the Polish Vatican diplomat, who started his service as Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana following his appointment in May 2020 had also served as First Counsellor in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
In South Africa and Lesotho, Archbishop Jagodziński succeeds Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells who was transferred to the Vatican Diplomatic Mission in Thailand and Cambodia in February 2023. Archbishop Wells had been serving as the Papal Representative in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa since February 2016.
As the IMBISA Region we want to take this opportunity once again to thank Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells for the work, he did in our region especially his participation at our last Plenary in Namibia. We also want to warmly welcome Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński, into our IMBISA Region and assure him of our prayers and support.