His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bicolano Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana as the Papal Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine on the day that the Vatican celebrates the solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 3.
The archbishop is a native of Naga City. Born on February 6, 1948 and ordained a priest on March 19, 1972, graduating as Doctor Juris utriusque (doctor of Both Laws) at the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome. In 1984 he completed his studies at the Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See where he served as Pontifical Representations in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary, and Taiwan.
Back in 2001 Pope St, John Paul II appointed him as Apotolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and consecrated him Bishop on January 6, 2002 in St. Peter’s Basilica(titular archbishop of Montecorvino) and entrusted with him the leadership of the Nunciature in Solomon Island.
In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI posted him in Pakistan as his Apostolic Nuncio and in 2010 was the Holy See representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It was Pope Francis who appointed him as the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia in February of 2015.
With his new posting the 73-year-old Archbishop is entrusted by Pope Francis to carry out an important mission in the Holy Land.
His previous representation of the Holy See spanned in four continents; Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceana.
His latest appointment is a fitting tribute to the Filipino Christian faith as the country celebrates 500 years of Christianity. Other Filipinos appointed by the Vatican included His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples and Archbishop Bernardito Cleopa Auza, the current Apostolic Nuncio to Spain since 2019.
Another Filipino priest was appointed by Pope Francis to the Papal household, he is Father Jan Thomas Limchua, a Cebuano with the honorific title “Monsignore Cappellano di Sua Santita” or Chaplain of His Holiness in 2020.
Another Bicolano, Fr. Bonifacio Lopez was also appointed by Pope Francis in 2020 as the first ever Chaplain of sports in Rome.
The Filipino dedication to the catholic faith is a testament that the country is “Gifted to Give.” (Source: Dominusest.ph)
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