By Fr. Johnston Mlambo
Harare, Zimbabwe – The new Papal Nuncio to Zimbabwe, His Excellence, Archbishop Janusz Urbańczyk, presented his credentials to President Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa at the State House this morning.
In his message, Archbishop Urbańczyk emphasised his goal to foster hope, peace, prayer, and dialogue in Zimbabwe. “Given the present world situation, my goal as the Pope’s Representative and Church leader will be, among others, to foster hope, peace, prayer, and dialogue,” he said.
The Papal Nuncio highlighted the importance of hope, citing Pope Francis’ message of spreading hope to a humanity wounded by violence.
He also referred to his episcopal motto, “Voluntas Dei, Pax Nostra” (God’s will is our peace), emphasising the need for lasting peace between nations, peoples, and families.
Archbishop Urbańczyk also emphasised the importance of prayer, citing Pope Francis’ call for a Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee year 2025.
He stressed the need for intensified prayers to prepare the Church to live the event of grace well and to experience the strength of God’s hope.
The Papal Nuncio also underscored the value of dialogue, saying that the Church is always ready to walk together with all humanity and experience the same earthly fate together with the world.
“I personally believe that the opportunities for dialogue should be further enhanced, especially by dialoguing with the political, religious, interfaith and intercultural worlds,” said the new Papal Nuncio to Zimbabwe.
Addressing the current El Nino-induced drought in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Urbańczyk called for concrete actions to alleviate and overcome the present hunger crisis and to find the root causes of human suffering.
He expressed hope that through the good offices of Caritas Internationalis and CAFOD, a local response could be organised to make a difference and be a sign of hope.
The Papal Nuncio was accompanied by his Secretary, Monsignor Felipe Fabiane. In his remarks, Archbishop Urbańczyk expressed his privilege and honour to represent Pope Francis in Zimbabwe and his ardent desire to serve the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe to the best of his ability. He asked the president to consider him a friend and a brother, concerned for both the spiritual and material wellbeing of the people.
Finally, the Papal Nuncio conveyed Pope Francis’ closeness and solicitude for everyone in Zimbabwe, bringing a special Apostolic Blessing from the Pope as a sign of his affection and prayers for Zimbabwe.
His Excellency, Archbishop Janusz Urbańczyk, arrived in Zimbabwe on the 25th of May 2024, and was welcomed at the Airport by Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu, the vice president of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Harare, and the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Fr. Tryvis Moyo.
A reception for him was held at the Nunciature on May 2nd, attended by the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Harare, Rev. Fr. Kennedy Muguti, the secretary to the Archbishop, Rev. Fr. Ephraim Murwira, and the Superiors of Religious Congregations in Harare.
Biography of the New Papal Nuncio
His Excellency The Most Reverend Archbishop Janusz Stanisław URBAŃCZYK, the new Papal Nuncio to Zimbabwe, was born in Kraszewo, Poland, on May 19, 1967. He was ordained a priest on June 13, 1992, for the Diocese of Ebląg, Poland.
After completing his Doctorate in Canon Law, he entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on July 1, 1997. He served in various roles, including:
– Attaché and Second Secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature in Bolivia
– First Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Slovakia (2000-2004)
– First Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in New Zealand (2004-2007)
– Second Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya and Counsellor of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations Programmes of Human Settlements and Environment (UN-Habitat and UNEP) in Nairobi (2007-2010)
– First Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Slovenia (2010-2012)
– First Counsellor of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York (2012-2015)
On January 12, 2015, he was appointed Permanent Representative of the Holy See to several international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
On January 25, 2024, Pope Francis appointed him Titular-Archbishop of Voli and Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Zimbabwe. He was ordained bishop on April 6, 2024, by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, at the Cathedral of Elblag.
Archbishop Urbańczyk speaks Polish, Italian, English, Spanish, and Slovak.
Below are some scenes from his reception at the Nunciature
