, 24 March 1937) is a Vatican

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 diplomat.

He was ordained a Priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 of Telese o Cerreto Sannita, Italy on 10 July 1960 and appointed Titular Archbishop of Gallesium on 28 March 1992. He served as Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 between 1992 and 1999, and to the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 between 1999 and 2006.

In 2006, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Israel

Apostolic Nuncio to Israel

The Apostolic Nuncio to Israel is the holder of a diplomatic position within the Vatican, who acts as nuncio of the Holy See to the State of Israel.-History:...

 and Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 as well as Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, where he presently serves.

In 2007, a dispute arose as the Vatican protested the inscription under Pius XII photograph in Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....

, alleging the Pontiff did not act to save Jews during the war. Franco even threatened to boycott the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony as a result.