Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, has announced his retirement at a thanksgiving Mass for the papal visit at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh.
The Mass, arranged by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland to mark the unprecedented success of Pope Benedict’s September trip to Britain, was celebrated last Sunday. Led by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the Scottish bishops paid tribute to the Nuncio and all those who helped make the papal visit a success.
A veteran of the Holy See’s diplomatic service, Archbishop Muñoz had served the Pope in Africa, Scandinavia and Latin American before the becoming the Vatican’s representative to Britain in 2004.
The thanksgiving celebrations were muted by the Nuncio’s announcement. His health has declined since he suffered a mild stroke in May.
