Retirement of Papal Nuncio announced

Titular Archbishop of Dunshaughlin appointed Nuncio to the Czech Republic

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland.

This morning, Archbishop Eamon Martin said: " On behalf of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, I wish to express my appreciation to His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, following the announcement today by Pope Leo XIV, of his resignation from this role.

"Since his appointment to Ireland on 25th February 2023, by the late Pope Francis, Archbishop Montemayor has been warmly welcomed by parishioners and clergy across the length and breadth of the island. His time as Nuncio has coincided with the Synodal Pathway consultations and assemblies and he has also engaged in listening and discussions in several dioceses around the island. His friendliness and good nature has been appreciated, and his approachability has been particularly welcomed by many. Archbishop Montemayor’s guidance and support to the Irish bishops regarding diocesan review and restructuring has been sensitive, collaborative and much appreciated.

"I wish to thank Archbishop Montemayor for this commitment and dedication during his tenure here in Ireland. I pray for many blessings and good health for his retirement."

Meanwhile, a clergyman who holds the honorary role of Titular Archbishop of Domnach Sechnaill (Dunshaughlin), Clare-native Archbishop Eugene Nugent, has been appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic. Until now, Archbishop Nugent has served as Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

Bishop Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe, said: “I warmly congratulate Archbishop Nugent on his appointment by Pope Leo to be Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic.

"Born in Scariff, in the Diocese of Killaloe, Archbishop Nugent, has spent the past five years serving in the Gulf region, and as he begins his new mission in Prague, I pray that God blesses him with continued grace, wisdom, and strength."

Archbishop Nugent, aged 67 and originally from Scariff, County Clare, in the Diocese of Killaloe, Ireland, has spent the past five years serving in the Gulf region and will shortly take up his new assignment in Prague.

A graduate in Celtic Studies from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, he subsequently pursued studies in theology and canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also undertook studies in diplomacy and international relations at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Archbishop Nugent was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Killaloe in Scariff, Ireland, on 9th July 1983.

Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1st July 1992 at the age of 33, he served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Türkiye, Israel and the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem 1, before later serving at the Holy See Study Mission in Hong Kong from 2000 until 2010.

On 13th February 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio and Titular Archbishop of Domnach Sechnnill (Dunshaughlin). From 2010 until 2015, he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles, while also serving as Apostolic Delegate to the Comoros Islands and the French overseas territory of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

On 10th January 2015, Archbishop Nugent was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, where he worked extensively on the reconstruction of churches following the devastating earthquake of 2010. During 2019 and 2020, the Apostolic Nunciature in Port-au-Prince hosted a series of meetings under the auspices of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Organisation of American States (OAS), aimed at facilitating political dialogue and helping to address the prolonged political crisis in the Caribbean nation.

Archbishop Nugent arrived in Kuwait in February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked to strengthen relations with the three Gulf countries entrusted to his care, while also promoting ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Much of his pastoral outreach during those difficult years focused on supporting the Catholic communities of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, composed predominantly of migrant workers from South-East Asia and the Middle East, many of whom were deeply affected by the social and economic consequences of the pandemic .

Following the death of the late Bishop Camillo Ballin, when the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia remained without a bishop for a period, Archbishop Nugent worked closely with Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Administrator based in the United Arab Emirates, together with the local clergy and religious, to ensure continuity in pastoral care and ecclesial life throughout the Vicariate.

He also fostered regular cooperation with the Heads of the Christian Churches in the region and strengthened relations with institutions dedicated to dialogue and peaceful coexistence, including the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue in Qatar and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in Bahrain.

Archbishop Nugent coordinated the historic Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the Kingdom of Bahrain in November 2022, as well as the visit of Cardinal Pietro Parolin to Kuwait in January 2026 on the occasion of the elevation of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi to the dignity of a Minor Basilica.

During the present conflict in the Middle East, Archbishop Nugent has worked closely with Bishop Aldo Berardi OSST, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, together with members of the Diplomatic Corps and State authorities, in offering pastoral support and assistance to Catholic communities and families experiencing hardship and distress.

A titular see is given by the pope to a bishop who does not have responsibility for a diocese. Titular sees are essentially dioceses that no longer functionally exist. The Diocese of Domnach Sechnaill refers to the ancient church founded by Saint Seachnall, who was sent by Saint Patrick from Britain or Gaul to Ireland in the year 439AD. History records that Seachnall wrote a hymn in honour of Saint Patrick, which is probably the first Christian Latin hymn composed in Ireland. He died on 27th November 448AD and was buried in Dunshaughlin. He is reputed to have been the first bishop to die in Ireland. Six hundred years later, the church in Dunshaughlin was burnt to the ground and, by 1152, the Diocese of Dunshaughlin was suppressed, having become part of the future Diocese of Meath, together with Trim, Ardbraccan, Slane, Fore and Skryne.