Archbishop Celestino Migliore (b. 1952) is a native of Piedmont, north Italy. Ordained to the priesthood in Cuneo in 1977, incardinated in this diocese. He earned a Ph.D. in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University.

In 1980, upon graduation from the Pontifical Church Academy, he started work in the diplomatic corps of the Holy See. In the years 1980-84 he was an attaché and the second secretary of the Apostolic Delegature in Angola, then worked in the Nunciature in the U.S., in 1988 in Egypt and in the years 1989-1992 in the Apostolic Nunciature in Warsaw, where he learned Polish.

In 1992 he became a special envoy of the Holy See to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In 1995 John Paul II appointed him Deputy Secretary for Relations with the States at the Vatican Secretariat of State. In this capacity Msgr. Migliore was e.g. in charge of promoting relations with the states which do not have diplomatic ties with the Vatican, for example in Asia. He headed delegations of the Holy See during talks with the authorities of China, Vietnam and North Korea, and participated in a number of conferences held under the auspices of the United Nations. A former lecturer of Church Diplomacy at the Pontifical Lateran University.

In 2001 in New York, Archbishop Migliore chaired the delegation of the Holy See to the UN Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. Furthermore, he represented the Holy See in different European capitals during numerous conferences connected to the World Trade Organisation, European Economic Commission, European Union, and the Near East.

In 2002 John Paul II nominated Msgr. Migliore a Papal Nuncio, a Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York and created him archbishop. He was ordained to the episcopate by the Holy Father on 6 January 2003. Archbishop Migliore was the fourth Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, preceded by Msgr. Giovanetti, Card. Cheli and Card. Martino.

Archbishop Migliore organised e.g. Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Nations on 18 April 2008.

Addressing the United Nations, Archbishop Migliore has repeatedly stood up for human rights, indicating that the economic and social progress must first and foremost benefit people. He also stressed the need for respect for each and every person and has pointed out e.g. the obligation of defending the family, which is based on a marital bond of man and woman.

He has repeatedly called for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for taking decisive measures for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear arms. He expressed a belief that a peaceful application of nuclear energy must take place under a strict supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

On 30 June 2010, Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Celestino Migliore Apostolic Nuncio to Poland. He arrived in Warsaw on 10 September 2010 and presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Poland on 15 September that year. He prepared the nominations of 16 ordinaries, including 5 metropolitan archbishops, of 1 coadjutor archbishop and 27 auxiliary bishops.

He has taken part in 20 plenary sessions of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, numerous religious celebrations, scholarly sessions, and press conferences.

On 28 May 2016, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Celestino Migliore his representative in the Russian Federation. He will be the sixth nuncio in Moscow since 1990. During the WYD in Kraków he will be acting Apostolic Nuncio to Poland.

KAI

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