Edward Joseph Adams (born August 24, 1944) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1976. He was the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain from 2017 to 2020 and held earlier postings in Greece, Asia, Africa and Central America.
Edward Joseph Adams | |
|---|---|
| Apostolic Nuncio emeritus to Great Britain Titular Archbishop of Scala | |
.JPG) Archbishop Adams in 2009 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Scala |
| Appointed | April 8, 2017 |
| Retired | January 31, 2020 |
| Predecessor | Antonio Mennini |
| Successor | Claudio Gugerotti |
| Other post(s) | Titular Archbishop of Scala |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 16, 1970 by John Joseph Cardinal Krol |
| Consecration | October 23, 1996 by Angelo Cardinal Sodano |
| Rank | Titular Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 24, 1944 |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Alma mater | |
| Motto | In Cruce Salus (In the cross is salvation) |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Edward Joseph Adams | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Early life
editAdams was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 24, 1944.[1] After his elementary education in Catholic grammar schools, he attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School at Villanova University and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, both in Philadelphia.
Adams was ordained a priest on May 16, 1970,[1] by Cardinal John Krol. Adams graduated from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome with a degree in canon law in 1976.
Diplomatic service
editAdams entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on March 8, 1976. He held positions in the office of the Secretary of State and in Rwanda, Kenya, Honduras, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.[1]
Adams was appointed apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh and titular archbishop of Scala, on August 24, 1996.[1] He was consecrated on October 23, 1996, in Rome by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the papal secretary of state. His principal co-consecrators were Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal John Foley.
After six years in Bangladesh, Adams was named apostolic nuncio to Zimbabwe on August 22, 2002[1] On September 3, 2007, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.[2]
On February 22, 2011, Adams was appointed papal nuncio to Greece[3] and on April 8, 2017, he was named to replace Archbishop Antonio Mennini as apostolic nuncio to Great Britain.[4][5][6] Adams' title refers to "Great Britain" rather than "United Kingdom" because the nuncio has no role in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. The Catholic Church in Northern Ireland is administered locally, with its apostolic nuncio based in Dublin.[7]
In February 2019, the Guardian reported that Adams received repeated requests for information to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (ICSA) held by the British Government. Adams did send a response to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office because he said that was the appropriate channel.[8] On October 5, 2019, an ICSA member was quoted by The Tablet as saying that the Holy See told ICSA that "the domestic laws and internal proceedings of a foreign sovereign entity are not the proper object for a British inquiry".[9]
Pope Francis accepted Adam's resignation as apostolic nuncio to Great Britain on January 31, 2020.[10]
Honors
edit
Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, July 23, 1993.[citation needed]
Grand Cross ('Μεγαλόσταυρος'), Order of the Phoenix (Greece), May 16, 2017.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Rinunce e nomine, 22.08.2002" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. August 22, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 03.09.2007" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. September 3, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 22.02.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. February 22, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "American archbishop appointed nuncio to Great Britain". Catholic Herald. April 10, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
... has been appointed the Holy See's ambassador to Great Britain.
- ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 08.04.2017" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. April 8, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
Il Santo Padre ha nominato Nunzio Apostolico in Gran Bretagna...
- ^ Lamb, Christopher (April 8, 2017). "Francis appoints American archbishop as Vatican nuncio to Great Britain". The Tablet. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
Archbishop Edward Adams was named to the role which requires him to be the Holy See's representative to Government authorities in England, Wales and Scotland, while also playing a crucial role in the selection of bishops.
- ^ "Diplomatic Mission: Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain". The Catholic Church in England and Wales. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
- ^ Bowcott, Owen (February 4, 2019). "Pope's UK envoy fails to respond to requests by child abuse inquiry". The Guardian. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ The Tablet, 5 October 2019 issue, p. 29.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 31.01.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ "Deputy Foreign Minister I. Amanatidis meets with the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in Greece" (news published at the website of the Embassy of Greece to the Vatican, dated May 17, 2017)[1]
External links
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