On Friday, Pope Francis received Monsignor Piergiorgio Bertoldi, the Apostolic Nuncio in the Dominican Republic and the apostolic delegate in Puerto Rico. This meeting comes at a crucial time when two new ordinary bishops are awaiting appointment.
In the Dominican Republic, the dioceses of Baní and La Vega have been vacant for several months. During this interim period, apostolic administrators oversee these dioceses until the appointment of regular bishops. Monsignor Faustino Burgos, the current auxiliary bishop of Santo Domingo, serves as the apostolic administrator for the Baní diocese. Meanwhile, in La Vega, Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel fulfills a similar role.
Recently, the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Benito Ángeles from the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo was also accepted. Additionally, there is an ongoing project in the Vatican to transform the territory of the Vicaria Santo Domingo Este into a new diocese. The final decision rests with Pope Francis.
The Apostolic Nuncio also provides insights into the situation of the Dominican Catholic Church and its local episcopate. He highlights internal matters that the Vatican should consider for future decision-making.
Monsignor Bertoldi, a seasoned Vatican diplomat, presented his credentials as the apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic on August 31.
Born in the Italian city of Varese on July 26, 1963, Bishop Bertoldi was ordained a priest in Milan on June 11, 1988, and he holds a degree in Canon Law. Having attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Nuncio has been part of the diplomatic service of the Holy See since July 1, 1995. His assignments have taken him to Vatican diplomatic missions in Uganda, the Republic of the Congo, Colombia, the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Iran, and Brazil.
On April 24, 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger, and later, on March 19, 2019, he became the Apostolic Nuncio to Mozambique.