Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria.
This was made known in a statement on Tuesday by His Grace Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, who also serves as the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN.
The statement was posted on the Catholic Broadcast Commission, Nigeria website.
Ugorji stated that Crotty is the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to Nigeria.
He said, “With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), clergy, religious, and lay faithful in Nigeria. We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi’.
”His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries, recalling that many Irish missionaries played a significant role in spreading the faith in Nigeria,” he said.
He appreciated Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assured him of the church’s full support and cooperation.