Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Mgr Adolf Titus Yllana is the new Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine. Pope Francis appointed him today.
From the Philippines, 73, the new Vatican representative to the Holy Land, has been in the Holy See's diplomatic service since 1984. Before today's appointment, he served in Australia, and before that in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary and Taiwan.
The new nuncio will go to Israel in the aftermath of the birth of a government that could, after 12 years, end the Netanyahu era, and not long after Israel reached a cease-fire with Hamas following the latest round of violence, which Francis called "unacceptable".
The Vatican, which is openly in favour of the two-state solution for the Holy Land, is still waiting for the implementation of the Fundamental Agreement signed between Israel and the Holy See on 29 December 1993 in Jerusalem and 30 December in the Vatican.
The document essentially concerns the recognition of the legal personality of the Catholic Church, with all the consequences that it entails. Negotiations to implement the deal have been going on for years, but nothing has been said or achieved yet.
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke about the Agreement during a reception at Rome’s main synagogue in 2019, saying that it began a new phase in bilateral relations, "initiating a significant path of cooperation" and adding that the work of the bilateral Commission "is nearing conclusion".
