Archbishop Charles Balvo appointed Vatican ambassador to Australia
Pope Francis has appointed American Archbishop Charles Balvo, a 30 year veteran of the Vatican’s diplomatic service, to serve as the next Apostolic Nuncio to Australia.
Archbishop Balvo is currently the Vatican’s ambassador to the Czech Republic. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York in 1976.
After serving in apostolic nunciatures in South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Archbishop Balvo was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand and several Pacific Island nations in 2005. He was also Apostolic Delegate to the Pacific Ocean.
In 2013, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and took on responsibility for South Sudan after that country was established. While posted in Kenya, Archbishop Balvo also served as Permanent Observer to the United Nations Environment Program and Human Settlements Program.
Archbishop Balvo has been in the Czech Republic since 2018.
Archbishop Balvo succeeds Archbishop Adolfo Yllana, who last year completed six-and-a-half years in Australia when Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.