Pope Leo appointed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Since 2019, he had been serving as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. He succeeds Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80-years-old on January 30.
Archbishop Caccia said he was “honored and deeply humbled by the decision of the Holy Father” to appoint him as nuncio “to the Country and the Church” where the Pope was born and raised.
“I receive this mission with both joy and a sense of trepidation,” he underlined, while highlighting that this is a “mission at the service of communion and peace” and that it begins in the year in which the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
Archbishop Caccia also said he feels “encouraged by the warmth and openness” he has received from the local Church, the people and the institutions of the U.S., which he has come to know during his years of service at the United Nations in New York.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed the appointment: “It is with joy that I welcome the news that our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed as his personal representative and nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Caccia. On behalf of my brother bishops, I wish to extend our warmest welcome and our prayerful support to him as he carries out his responsibilities across the United States, and we look forward to working with him.” Click here to read more.