Francisco-Javier Lozano Sebastián (born 28 November 1943) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has been an archbishop since 1994 and held the title of Apostolic Nuncio to several countries until his resignation in 2015.
Biography He was born to a farming family in Villaverde de Íscar on 28 November 1943. He studied at the seminary in Seville and at the Pontifical University of Salamanca. He earned his licentiate in theology in 1966 from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest on 19 March 1968, by Cardinal Antonio Samorè
Diplomatic career In 1977, he obtained a doctorate in canon law from Lateran University while already working in the Nunciature in Nigeria. His other early postings in the diplomatic service of the Holy See included South Africa, Zimbabwe, Yugoslavia, and Guatemala.
On 25 July 1994, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular archbishop of Penafiel and Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Angelo Sodano on 25 July. John Paul made him Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 20 March 1999, during the Second Congo War, where in 2000 he criticized the shelling of Kisangani as a "tragic and unjustified" targeting of the Christian population.
He returned to Rome in 2001 and worked in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State and in December was also made a member of the administrative council of Vatican Television.
John Paul made him Nuncio to Croatia on 4 August 2003, and he received his next posting from Pope Benedict XVI as Nuncio to both Romania and Moldova on 10 December 2007.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Nuncio on 20 July 2015.
Prize and awards 24 October 2020: the 9th edition of the John Paul II Prize in Bisceglie, Italy, together with Simona amabene, the Italian founder of the Marian family prayer Costola Rosa, the singers Golec uOrkiestra, Paolo Mengoli, Manuela Villa, Igor Minerva, Daniele Si Nasce, Devis Manoni, Silva Perentin, and the actors Daniela Poggi, Valentina Persia, Luca Capuano and Vincenzo Bocciarelli.
See also
Apostolic Nunciature Apostolic Nuncio Diplomacy of the Holy See List of heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See
References
External links Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop Francisco-Javier Lozano Sebastián