Vatican appoints Michael Crotty new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria
By Jeffrey Agbo
Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed the Most Reverend Michael Crotty, Titular Archbishop of Lindisfarne, as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria.
Crotty, a native of Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, Ireland, was born on March 26, 1970. On July 3, 1994, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cloyne (Ireland). After his priestly ordination he continued postgraduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained Licentiates in Ecclesiastical History and Canon Law and a doctorate in Ecclesiastical History.
On July 1, 2001, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See and was assigned to the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya, Nairobi. He subsequently served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Canada, Ottawa (2004-2007); the Apostolic Nunciature in Iraq and Jordan, Baghdad and Amman (2007 – 2009); the Secretariat of State at the Vatican – Section for the Holy See’s Relations with States (2009-2017) and in the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain, Madrid (2017-2020).
On February 1, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and raised him to the archiepiscopal dignity granting him the titular see of Lindisfarne. Subsequently, on 25 April 2020, he was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Niger. On August 15, 2020, he was ordained to the episcopate in St Colman’s Cathedral, Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland. Since September 2020 he has been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger with residence in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
In May 2023, he was appointed Special Envoy of the Holy See to attend the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu.
Apart from his mother tongue English, he speaks Gaelic, French, Italian, Spanish and German.
Speaking on his appointment, Crotty said in a statement: “My appointment as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria is a cause of great joy for me and of profound gratitude to His Holiness Pope Francis for the honour that he has bestowed upon me. I pledge my utmost to serve to the best of my abilities as the Holy Father’s representative to all Nigerians, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.
“As a native of Ireland, I can say that Nigeria is well known to the Irish people, particularly through the bonds of faith and friendship established by many generations of Irish missionaries. I take this opportunity, therefore, to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Irish missionaries: bishops, priests, religious sisters and lay missionaries. Of course, side-by-side them, there have been countless other missionaries from many other countries.
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“From 2017 to 2022, H.E. Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo was the first Nigerian to serve as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland and today I have the great joy to be the first Irishman to serve as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria.
“My appointment as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria today providentially coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to whose maternal and loving care, I entrust my new mission. I invite all Nigerian Catholics, through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland and Nigeria, to pray for the Holy Father Pope Francis.”
Reacting to the appointment, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) headed by the Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Ugorji, said: “The Catholic Church in Nigeria warmly welcomes the new Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador): His Excellency, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
“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. We also celebrate the historic connection between our nations, as Archbishop Crotty becomes our first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland, just as Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, who served as the first Apostolic Nuncio from Nigeria in Ireland.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation. We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for Your Excellency.”