PANAJI
The Church in India paid tributes to outgoing Apostolic Nuncio Giambattista Diquattro on Tuesday, through a virtual session attended by 120 Bishops from across the country.
After almost four years of diplomatic and pastoral service in India, Archbishop Diquattro will be shortly taking up his new apostolic mission in Brazil.
Presiding over the online meeting, Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) President and Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrão recalled the meritorious services of the Nuncio to the Church in India.
“The CCBI is grateful to His Excellency for the excellent services rendered to the Church in India and the CCBI,” remarked Archbishop Ferrão.
The outgoing Vatican Ambassador expressed his thanks to the Bishops in India.
“I had the grace to live useful and fruitful moments of dialogue, discernment and communion with the Bishops of India. Thanks to your dedicated, generous, competent support and collaboration,” said Archbishop Giambattista.
Archbishop of Vizhakapattanam Prakash Mallavarapu and Archbishop of Calcutta Thomas D’Souza led the virtual gathering into prayer.
On behalf of the Bishops of India, Archbishop Ferrão felicitated the outgoing diplomat with a ‘virtual’ garland and bouquet. The online gathering concluded with the final Apostolic Blessing imparted by the outgoing Nuncio.
Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro had been holding the post of Apostolic Nuncio in India and Nepal since January 21, 2017. Before coming to India, he had been a Nuncio in Panama (2005-2008) and Bolivia (2009-2017).
