Holy See: Luigi Bianco appointed Apostolic representative to Slovenia, Vatican does not recognize Kosovo

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Luigi Bianco as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia, who, like his two predecessors, will also serve as the Delegate to Kosovo, the Vatican announced, reiterating that the Holy See does not recognize the independence of Kosovo.

"The Holy See does not recognize the independence of Kosovo and has previously advocated for dialogue and moderation in the conflict with Serbia. The region, predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Of the approximately 1.5 million inhabitants, about 250,000 Kosovars belong to the Catholic Church, mostly ethnic Albanians. The situation largely stabilized after the 1999 Kosovo War and the 2004 unrest resembling a pogrom. However, there have recently been repeated instances of violence and conflict, particularly in the north of Kosovo, which is predominantly inhabited by Serbs. UNESCO considers the Christian Orthodox cultural heritage of Kosovo to be endangered,” the Vatican statement reads regarding Bianco’s appointment as Nuncio to Slovenia and Delegate to Kosovo.

Bianco succeeds Frenchman Jean-Marie Speich in this role.

Born in 1960, Bianco entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1989. After serving in Egypt, Argentina, Croatia, Spain, and Andorra, Pope Benedict XIV appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Honduras in 2009.

During the political crisis that followed the 2009 military coup in Honduras, Bianco, on behalf of the Holy See, called for dialogue and a peaceful resolution, Vatican News recalls.

At that time, unlike the majority of the international community, the Holy See opposed the return and violent response of exiled President Manuel Zelaya in order to preserve peace in Honduras.

After serving as Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Senegal, and as Special Envoy to the African Union, Bianco served as Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda from 2019.

More than 70 percent of Slovenia's over two million inhabitants belong to the Catholic Church. The Holy See was one of the first states to recognize Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia and to establish diplomatic relations with the country, the statement recalls.