(July 17, 2010) The Holy Father has appointed an Indian Archbishop as the Permanent
Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. Archbishop Francis Assisi
Chullikatt is the new representative to the UN succeeding Italian Archbishop Celestino
Migliore who currently serves as the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland. Archbishop Chullikatt
is now the Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq and Jordan. The Archbishop was born in Bolghatty,
Kerala, India on March 20, 1953. He was ordained priest in the Diocese of Verapoly,
India on the 3rd of June 1978. On 29th of April 2006 he was
appointed Titular Archbishop of Ostra with his posting as the Apostolic Nuncio to
Jordan and Iraq. On the 25th of June 2006 Ordained Bishop Titular Archbishop
of Ostra. Prior to his appointment as Nuncio, Archbishop Chullikatt had worked in
the Representations of the Holy See in Honduras, in various countries of Southern
Africa, in the Philippines, at the United Nations in New York and, finally, in the
Secretariat of State in the Vatican.