The Apostolic Nunciature to Algeria is an ecclesiastical office of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. It is a

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

ic post of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Algeria and enjoys the rank of an

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

. The office of the nunciature is located in

Bologhine Bologhine is a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast ...

Alger Alger may refer to: Places Algeria * French name for Algiers, the capital of Algeria ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alger * Alger (department), a former French department (1848–1962) United States * Alger, Michigan, an unincorporated c ...

. The Vatican established the position of Delegate to Northern Africa on 27 February 1965; John Gordon held that post until 14 July 1967.

Sante Portalupi Sante Portalupi, also Portaluppi, (1 November 1909 – 31 March 1984) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. From 1959 until his death, he held the senior position as apostolic ...

succeeded him on 27 September 1967. The delegate's responsibilities were modified as the Holy See developed relationships with countries in the delegate's area of responsibility. Portalupi took on the title of Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Algeria on 6 March 1972. The Apostolic Nuncio to Algeria is usually also the Apostolic Nuncio to

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

upon his appointment to said nation.

List of papal representatives to Algeria

;Delegate to Northern Africa * John Gordon (27 February 1965 – 14 July 1967) *

(27 September 1967 – 6 March 1972) ;Apostolic Pro-Nuncios to Algeria *

(6 March 1972 – 15 December 1979) *

Gabriel Montalvo Higuera Gabriel Montalvo Higuera (27 January 1930 – 2 August 2006) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See for fifty years, with the title of archbishop and the rank of nuncio from 1974. His ...

(18 March 1980 – 12 June 1986) * Giovanni De Andrea (22 November 1986 – 26 August 1989) *

Edmond Farhat Edmond Farhat (20 May 1933 – 17 December 2016) was a Lebanese prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Farhat was born in Ain Kfaa, Lebanon, on 20 May 1933. On 28 March 1959, the Ma ...

(26 August 1989 – 26 July 1995) ;Apostolic Nuncios to Algeria * Antonio Sozzo (5 August 1995 – 23 May 1998) *

Augustine Kasujja Augustine Kasujja (born 26 April 1946) is a Ugandan prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He was the Apostolic Nunciature to Belgium, Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and Apostolic Nunciature to Luxembo ...

(26 May 1998 – 22 April 2004) *

Thomas Yeh Sheng-nan Thomas Yeh Sheng-nan (; born 26 June 1941) is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and diplomat of the Holy See. Biography Thomas Yeh Sheng-nan was born on 26 June 1941, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and was ordained prie ...

(22 April 2004 – 2015) *

Luciano Russo Luciano Russo is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Russo was born in Lusciano, Italy, on 23 June 1963. He was ordained priest of the Diocese of Aversa on 1 October 1988. ...

(14 June 2016 – 22 August 2020) * Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal (1 January 2021 – 15 March 2025)

References

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Algeria–Holy See relations

List of papal representatives to Algeria

See also

References