The Bulletin of the Holy See announced this Monday, September 15, at 12:00 hours, the appointment of Mons. Piero Pioppo as the new Apostolic Nuncio in Spain. The news was immediately confirmed by the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid to the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), which issued a statement underscoring the relevance of this appointment for the life of the Spanish Church.
Mons. Pioppo, titular archbishop of Torcello, had been serving until now as Nuncio in Indonesia and to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). With this appointment, Pope Leo XIV entrusts him with one of the most relevant diplomatic representations in Europe.
A career marked by Vatican diplomacy
Born in Savona (Italy) in 1960, Piero Pioppo was ordained a priest in 1985 in the diocese of Acqui Terme and holds a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology. He entered the Holy See’s Diplomatic Service in 1993, with experience in the nunciatures of Korea and Chile and in the Secretariat of State.
On July 7, 2006, he was appointed Prelate of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and in 2010 received the appointment as Nuncio in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, being consecrated bishop on March 18 of that same year. In 2017 he was sent as pontifical representative to Indonesia and in 2018 he also assumed the diplomatic mission to the ASEAN.
The end of a process marked by the silence of the Spanish Government
This appointment comes after a prolonged and complex process. As published in July by InfoVaticana, and exclusively by the Vatican portal Silere non possum, Pioppo’s candidacy for the Spanish nunciature had been discarded after weeks of waiting without the Government of Pedro Sánchez granting the required agrément.
The silence of the Executive was interpreted in diplomatic circles as an effective veto, discreetly blocking the proposal presented by the Holy See’s Secretariat of State following the transfer of Bernardito Auza to the representation before the European Union.
According to Silere non possum, Pioppo’s designation sought to rebuild relations with marginalized ecclesial sectors in previous years, in tune with the new climate in Rome after the election of Pope Leo XIV. However, Vatican sources indicated that the Pontiff is aware of the maneuvers of various currents—traditionalist and progressive—that attempt to instrumentalize his pontificate.
The stance of Pope Leo XIV
According to the sources cited by Silere non possum, Leo XIV has stated privately that he will not allow himself to be pressured by what he calls “category unions.” Although he wishes to promote the unity of the Church and heal internal wounds, he is not willing to yield to group interests.
The official appointment of Mons. Piero Pioppo as Nuncio in Spain thus reflects the Pope’s decision to overcome diplomatic obstacles and reaffirm his freedom of judgment in key appointments, confirming his commitment to strengthening the bond between Rome and the Church in Spain.