Anapostolic nunciature (Latin:Nuntiatura Apostolica) is the highest-leveldiplomatic mission of theHoly See and functions in a manner similar to an embassy. Unlike embassies, however, apostolic nunciatures do not issuevisas and do not maintainconsulates.
The head of an apostolic nunciature is theapostolic nuncio, commonly referred to as a papal nuncio. A nuncio is the Holy See’s permanent diplomatic representative to astate or to certain international intergovernmental organizations, notably theEuropean Union andASEAN. Nuncios hold the rank ofambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and, in ecclesiastical terms, are usuallytitulararchbishops. Papal envoys to other international organizations who do not serve as heads of mission are typically designated as "permanent observers" or "delegates".
In a number of countries with diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the apostolic nuncio servesex officio as thedoyen of thediplomatic corps. In these states, the nuncio holds the highestprecedence among accredited diplomats and may speak on behalf of the diplomatic corps on matters of protocol and diplomatic privilege. While this arrangement is common in countries with a Catholic heritage, it is also recognized in some countries that are not predominantly Catholic.
Beyond diplomatic duties, an apostolic nuncio acts as the official liaison between the Holy See and the local Catholic Church. Among other responsibilities, the nuncio plays a significant role in the process of selecting bishops within the country.
ThePope accredits diplomatic representatives to a number of sovereign states and other subjects of international law. The following list reflects those accredited entities as of January 2010:[2]
Algeria,Angola,Benin,Burkina Faso,Burundi,Botswana,Cameroon,Cape Verde,Central African Republic,Chad,Congo (Republic of),Congo (Democratic Republic of),Côte d'Ivoire,Djibouti,Egypt,Equatorial Guinea,Eritrea,Eswatini,Ethiopia,Gabon,Gambia,Ghana,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Kenya,Lesotho,Liberia,Libya,Madagascar,Malawi,Mali,Mauritania,Mauritius,Morocco,Mozambique,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Rwanda,São Tomé and Príncipe,Senegal,Seychelles,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Sudan,Tanzania,Togo,Tunisia,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe.
Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina,Bahamas,Barbados,Belize,Bolivia,Brazil,Canada,Chile,Colombia,Costa Rica,Cuba,Dominica,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,El Salvador,Grenada,Guatemala,Guyana,Haiti,Honduras,Jamaica,México,Nicaragua,Panama,Paraguay,Peru,Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and Grenadines,Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago,United States of America,Uruguay,Venezuela.
Bahrain,Bangladesh,Cambodia,Republic of China (Taiwan),East Timor,India,Indonesia,Iran,Iraq,Israel,Japan,Jordan,Kazakhstan,[3]Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan,Lebanon,Malaysia,Mongolia,[4]Nepal,Pakistan,Philippines,Qatar,Singapore,Sri Lanka,South Korea,Syria,Tajikistan,Thailand,Turkmenistan,United Arab Emirates,Uzbekistan,Yemen.
Albania,Andorra,Armenia,Austria,Azerbaijan,Belarus,Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Cyprus,Czech Republic,Estonia,European Union,France,Georgia,Germany,Great Britain,Greece,Hungary,Ireland,Italy,Latvia,Liechtenstein,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta,Moldova,Monaco,Montenegro,The Netherlands,Nordic Countries,North Macedonia,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Russia,San Marino,Serbia,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain,Switzerland,Turkey,Ukraine.
Australia,Cook Islands,Fiji,Kiribati,Marshall Islands,Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru,New Zealand,Palau,Papua New Guinea,Samoa, Solomon Islands,Tonga,Vanuatu.
An apostolic delegate may be sent to liaison between the Catholic Church and a country with which the Holy See has no diplomatic ties, though not accredited to the government of the country. Apostolic delegates have no formal diplomatic status, though in some countries they have some diplomatic privileges.
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