New Apostolic Nuncio is Appointed in Kenya

Kenya has recently appointed a new Nuncio: His Excellency Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin, comes to Kenya from a similar position in Ecuador, Latin America.

"The Holy Father [has] appointed Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin, Apostolic Nuncio to Ecuador, as Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and permanent observer to the United Nations Environment and Human Settlements Programs (UNEP and UN-Habitat)," the Vatican Information Service said in its dispatch for Friday evening, January 14, 2005.

Archbishop Lebeaupin, 59, replaces Archbishop Giovanni Tonucci, who in December 2004 left for Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway to continue serving more and more as he did in Kenya for the past 8 years, something that many Kenyans have said they will be eternally grateful for.

Kenya's new Nuncio was born in Paris, France, on March 2, 1945. He was ordained priest on June 28, 1975. Then on December 7, 1998, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Vico Equense, and began his diplomatic career the same day following his appointment as Apostolic Nuncio to Ecuador. He was ordained Bishop on Jan 6, 1999.

The United Nations Environment and Human Settlements Programs (UNEP and UN-Habitat), to which he is appointed permanent observer, is also headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Archbishop Tonucci had served as the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya since 1996. He was born in Fano Italy, in December 1941 and ordained priest in 1966.

He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1971 and has served as the Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon, Great Britain, Yugoslavia and the United States of America.

Before coming to Kenya in 1996, Archbishop Tonucci had served as Nuncio to Bolivia from 1989 to March 1996.





Peninnah Gathoni
Ecumenical Press