Edward Joseph Adams

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Edward Joseph Adams
Apostolic Nuncio emeritus to Great Britain
Titular Archbishop of Scala
Archbishop Adams in 2009
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeScala
AppointedApril 8, 2017
RetiredJanuary 31, 2020
PredecessorAntonio Mennini
SuccessorClaudio Gugerotti
Other post(s)Titular Archbishop of Scala
Orders
OrdinationMay 16, 1970
by John Joseph Cardinal Krol
ConsecrationOctober 23, 1996
by Angelo Cardinal Sodano
RankTitular Archbishop
Personal details
Born (1944-08-24) August 24, 1944 (age 79)
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous post(s)
Alma mater
MottoIn Cruce Salus (In the cross is salvation)
Coat of armsEdward Joseph Adams's coat of arms
Styles of
Edward Joseph Adams
Reference styleHis Excellency
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop

Edward Joseph Adams (born August 24, 1944) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1976. He was the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain from 2017 to 2020 and held earlier postings in Greece, Asia, Africa and Central America.

Early life[edit]

Adams was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 24, 1944.[1] After his elementary education in Catholic grammar schools, he attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School at Villanova University and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, both in Philadelphia.

Adams was ordained a priest on May 16, 1970,[1] by Cardinal John Krol. Adams graduated from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome with a degree in canon law in 1976.

Diplomatic service[edit]

Adams entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on March 8, 1976. He held positions in the office of the Secretary of State and in Rwanda, Kenya, Honduras, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.[1]

Adams was appointed apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh and titular archbishop of Scala, on August 24, 1996.[1] He was consecrated on October 23, 1996, in Rome by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the papal secretary of state. His principal co-consecrators were Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal John Foley.

After six years in Bangladesh, Adams was named apostolic nuncio to Zimbabwe on August 22, 2002[1] On September 3, 2007, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.[2]

On February 22, 2011, Adams was appointed papal nuncio to Greece[3] and on April 8, 2017, he was named to replace Archbishop Antonio Mennini as apostolic nuncio to Great Britain.[4][5][6] Adams' title refers to "Great Britain" rather than "United Kingdom" because the nuncio has no role in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. The Catholic Church in Northern Ireland is administered locally, with its apostolic nuncio based in Dublin.[7]

In February 2019, the Guardian reported that Adams received repeated requests for information to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (ICSA) held by the British Government. Adams did send a response to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office because he said that was the appropriate channel.[8] On October 5, 2019, an ICSA member was quoted by The Tablet as saying that the Holy See told ICSA that "the domestic laws and internal proceedings of a foreign sovereign entity are not the proper object for a British inquiry".[9]

Pope Francis accepted Adam's resignation as apostolic nuncio to Great Britain on January 31, 2020.[10]

Honors[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Rinunce e nomine, 22.08.2002" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. August 22, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 03.09.2007" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. September 3, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  3. ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 22.02.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. February 22, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  4. ^ "American archbishop appointed nuncio to Great Britain". Catholic Herald. April 10, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. ... has been appointed the Holy See's ambassador to Great Britain.
  5. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 08.04.2017" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. April 8, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018. Il Santo Padre ha nominato Nunzio Apostolico in Gran Bretagna...
  6. ^ Lamb, Christopher (April 8, 2017). "Francis appoints American archbishop as Vatican nuncio to Great Britain". The Tablet. Retrieved June 14, 2018. Archbishop Edward Adams was named to the role which requires him to be the Holy See's representative to Government authorities in England, Wales and Scotland, while also playing a crucial role in the selection of bishops.
  7. ^ "Diplomatic Mission: Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain". The Catholic Church in England and Wales. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  8. ^ Bowcott, Owen (February 4, 2019). "Pope's UK envoy fails to respond to requests by child abuse inquiry". The Guardian. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  9. ^ The Tablet, 5 October 2019 issue, p. 29.
  10. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 31.01.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  11. ^ "Deputy Foreign Minister I. Amanatidis meets with the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in Greece" (news published at the website of the Embassy of Greece to the Vatican, dated May 17, 2017)[1]
Catholic Church titles
Preceded byas Titular Bishop of Scala Titular Archbishop of Scala
August 24, 1996–present
Incumbent
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh
August 24, 1996 – August 22, 2002
Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe
August 22, 2002 – September 3, 2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
September 3, 2007 – February 22, 2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Greece
February 22, 2011 – April 8, 2017
Succeeded by
Preceded by Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain
April 8, 2017 – January 31, 2020
Succeeded by