Mgr Joseph Marino, 54, who has been the First Counsellor at the Apostolic Nunciature in London since the summer of 2004 has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh and titular Archbishop of Natchitoches by Pope Benedict XVI.
Commenting on his appointment, Archbishop-elect Marino said: “I am grateful to the Holy Father for this singular honour in representing him to Bangladesh and to the Catholic Church in that country.”
Archbishop-elect Marino was ordained a priest in 1979 for the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama. He was an assistant priest in the cathedral parish in Birmingham and a University Chaplain before entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Between 1988 and 1997 Archbishop-Elect Marino served in the Nunciatures in the Philippines, Uruguay and Nigeria. In 1997 he was appointed to the Secretariat of State in the Vatican with particular responsibility for the Balkan countries. It was from Rome that he came to Britain.
Speaking after the announcement of his appointment to Bangladesh, the Archbishop-elect reflected: “The assignment in the United Kingdom has been for me a source of great joy and satisfaction. Certainly, one of the highlights was the opportunity to have met members of the Royal Family. Moreover, it has been so encouraging to have come to know the Church in this country as one that is so alive and filled with good bishops, priests, religious and lay people playing such an important role in their society.”
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor expressed the good wishes of the Bishops of England and Wales: “It has been our pleasure to have had Archbishop-elect Marino working alongside Archbishop Sainz Muñoz at the Nunciature for the past three and a half years. I speak for all the Bishops when I express our thanks to him for his counsel, practical assistance and gentle good humour. Our prayers and our support go with him in his twofold mission: as Bishop and as diplomat. The Catholic Church in Bangladesh will be blessed by his presence. He has been our colleague and he leaves as our friend.”
