The Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain is the diplomatic office of the Holy See in Great Britain. It is headed by the Apostolic Nuncio, who has the rank of an ambassador (officially, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James's). The parties agreed to exchange representatives at the ambassadorial level and Pope John Paul II erected the Nunciature to Great Britain on 17 January 1982. Before then, the interests of the Holy See in Great Britain had been represented by an Apostolic Delegate since 1938, though not granted diplomatic status until 1979. The decision to designate the nuncio to Great Britain rather than the United Kingdom reflected the complex and frequently antagonistic relationship between the Holy See and the British crown since they severed ties in the sixteenth century. British government sources said it had been agreed that the nuncio in London would concern himself with matters in England, Scotland and Wales, while the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, based in Dublin, would have within his purview the entire island of Ireland.
The office of the nunciature is in London, at 54 Parkside, in Wimbledon, lying within the Archdiocese of Southwark and overlooking Wimbledon Common. It was the only diplomatic mission in London located south of the river Thames until the United States Embassy opened its new premises in Vauxhall in 2018. The Nuncio to Great Britain is also the papal representative to Gibraltar.
The current nuncio as of April 2023 is Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía.
History
Formal diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the Holy See resumed in 1914 and an Apostolic Delegation to Great Britain was established on 21 November 1938. The Apostolic Delegation to Great Britain was promoted to the rank of an Apostolic Nunciature by Pope John Paul II in 1982.Nunciature to Great Britain at GCatholic.org. Retrieved on 11 June 2013.
List of office holders OfficeFromUntilPost HolderNotesApostolic Delegate to Great Britain21 November 193810 November 1953William Godfrey Previously, a priest in Liverpool. Left after being appointed Archbishop of Liverpool8 June 195416 July 1963Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara Previously, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. Died in office4 October 196319 April 1969Igino Eugenio Cardinale Left after being appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium26 April 196916 July 1973Domenico EnriciPreviously, Apostolic Delegate to Australia. Left after being appointed an official of the Secretariat of State16 July 197322 February 1982Bruno Bernard HeimPreviously Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the Arab Republic of Egypt. RetiredApostolic Pro-Nuncio to Great Britain22 February 1982July 198521 January 198613 April 1993Luigi BarbaritoPreviously, Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Australia. RetiredApostolic Nuncio to Great Britain13 April 199331 July 199731 July 199723 October 2004Pablo Puente BucesPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait. Retired.11 December 20045 December 2010Faustino Sainz MuñozPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to European Community. Retired.18 December 20101 March 2017Antonio MenniniPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to Uzbekistan. Subsequently appointed an official of the Secretariat of State8 April 201731 January 2020Edward Joseph AdamsPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to Greece. Retired.4 July 2020mid-January 2023Claudio GugerottiPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. Subsequently appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches 13 April 2023Miguel Maury BuendíaPreviously, Apostolic Nuncio to Romania and Moldova.
See also List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to the Holy See Holy See–United Kingdom relations 54 Parkside
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