In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Cleopas and the surname or paternal family name is Auza.
| The Most Reverend Bernardito Cleopas Auza O.P., D.D. | |
|---|---|
| Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and Andorra Titular Archbishop of Suacia | |
 Archbishop Bernardito Auza | |
| In office | 1 October 2019–present |
| Predecessor | Renzo Fratini |
| Other post(s) | Titular Archbishop of Suacia |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 29 June 1985 by Daniel Francis Walsh |
| Consecration | 3 July 2008 by Tarcisio Bertone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-06-10) 10 June 1959 (age 65) Talibon, Bohol, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Motto | UT DILIGATIS INVINCEM ("Love one another.") |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Bernardito Auza | |
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| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
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Ordination history of Bernardito Auza | |||||||||
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Bernardito Cleopas Auza (born 10 June 1959) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the current Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, appointed to that position on 1 October 2019. Prior to this, he served under the diplomatic service of the Holy See, as well as being the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations from 2014 to 2019. He is a member of the Priestly Fraternities of Saint Dominic.
Early life
Auza was born on 10 June 1959, in Balintawak, Talibon, Bohol, Philippines, the eighth of twelve children of Meliton Garcia Auza and Magdalena Polestico Cleopas. After preliminary education in Talibon, he entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City. He then enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, where he obtained his Licentiate in Philosophy in 1981, Licentiate in Theology in 1986, and Masters in Education also in 1986.
Auza was ordained a priest by Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California on 29 June 1985.
At the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), he obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1989 and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1990. He attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to prepare for a diplomat's career.
Diplomatic career
He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 June 1990 and worked in Madagascar and the South Indian Ocean (1990–93), Bulgaria (1993–96), Albania (1997–98), the Secretariat of State in the Section for Relations with States (1999–2006), and the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the UN (2006–08).
On 8 May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named Auza Titular Archbishop of Suacia and Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti. He was consecrated as a bishop on 3 July 2008 by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State.
On 2 July 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York representing the Holy See. On 16 July, his responsibilities were expanded to include the role of Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States (OAS).
In October 2014 Auza called for a broad definition of the term “rule of law” that includes respect, dignity, and justice. The rule of law should be “both rationally and morally grounded upon the substantial principles of justice, including the inalienable dignity and value of every human person prior to any law or social consensus,” said Archbishop Berardito Auza, the nuncio, in a statement made during a committee meeting at the UN General Assembly. “As a consequence of the recognition of this dignity, those elements of fundamental justice such as respect for the principle of legality,” Archbishop Auza said, “the presumption of innocence and the right to due process.” Among nations, he added, the rule of law should mean “the paramount respect of human rights, equality of the rights of nations; and respect for international customary law, treaties … and other sources of international law. This definition, with its reference point in the natural law, sidesteps self-referential definitional frameworks and anchors the orientation of the rule of law within the ultimate and essential goal of all law, namely to promote and guarantee the dignity of the human person and the common good.”
In the same speech, he noted the Vatican’s hope that “the alarming, escalating phenomenon of international terrorism, new in some of its expressions and utterly ruthless in its barbarity, be an occasion for a deeper and more urgent study on how to re-enforce the international juridical framework of a multilateral application of our common responsibility to protect people from all forms of unjust aggression.”
His assignment to the OAS ended on 31 August 2019.
Pope Francis appointed him apostolic nuncio to Spain and to Andorra on 1 October 2019.
See also
References
- "Resignations and Appointments, 01.10.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
- "Abp. Auza Leads the Dominican Family in the Closing Mass of the Jubilee of St. Dominic". sacerdotes.op.org. 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 08.05.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 8 May 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ Gaggliarducci, Andrea (11 July 2014). "Vatican's New U.N. Observer to Face Key Challenges". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Cardinal Bertone's homily at the episcopal consecration of Archbishops Vacchelli and Auza". Agenzia Fides. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Rinunce e nomine, 02.07.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Rinunce e nomine, 16.07.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Vatican nuncio asks United Nations to establish 'rule of law' definition". Catholic Herald. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "Archbishop Auza's Statement to 69th Session of UN General Assembly, New York". Zenit News Agency. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "Resignations and Appointments, 31.08.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- "Resignations and Appointments, 01.10.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
External links
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byRichard Pates | Titular Archbishop of Suacia 2008–present |
Incumbent |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded byMario Giordana | Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti 2008–2014 |
Succeeded byEugene Nugent |
| Preceded byFrancis Assisi Chullikatt | Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations 2014–2019 |
Succeeded byGabriele Giordano Caccia |
| Preceded byRenzo Fratini | Apostolic Nuncio to Spain 2019–present |
Incumbent |
| Dominican Order in the Philippines | |||||||||||||||
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| A list of all the congregations, notable members, priories, churches, and convents of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in the Phippines | |||||||||||||||
| Congregations |
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| Notable members |
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- 1959 births
- Living people
- Apostolic nuncios to Haiti
- Apostolic nuncios to Spain
- Apostolic nuncios to Andorra
- 21st-century Roman Catholic titular archbishops
- Filipino Roman Catholic bishops
- People from Bohol
- Permanent observers of the Holy See to the United Nations
- Permanent observers of the Holy See to the Organization of American States
- Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy alumni
- Filipino Dominicans
- Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni