” “Today, Benedict XVI has appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan and Eritrea, raising him to the titular see of Bitento as an archbishop, mgr. Leo Boccardi, born in San Martino in Pensilis (Campobasso) on April 15th 1953. He was ordained on June 24th 1979 by John Paul II. Graduated in moral theology and canon law in 1987, he gained a theology degree at the Lateran Papal University. Between 1979 and 1984, he taught philosophy and moral theology at the regional seminary of Chieti. In June 1987, after attending the Ecclesiastic Papal Academy, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See and served in the Apostolic Nunciatures to Uganda (1987-1990), Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (1990-1993), Belgium and the European Union (1993-1996). From 1996 to 2001, he was posted to the Section for relations with the states of the Vatican Secretariat of State. In March 2001, he was appointed delegate and permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Osce), the International Organisation for Atomic Energy (Aiea), the Commission for the Banning of Nuclear tests (Ctbto), the UN Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), the UN office in Vienna (Unov).” “
