“My Contacts with Saint John Paul II at the Fall of the Soviet Union”

September 21, 2022
Online

A native of Verona, Italy, His Excellency, The Most Reverend Claudio Gugerotti, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain and the Titular Archbishop of Rebellum, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Verona in 1982. He obtained degrees in Eastern languages and sacred liturgy and, between 1981 and 1985, taught patristics, theology, and Eastern liturgy at the Institute of Ecumenical Studies and San Zeno Theological Institute, both in Verona. In 1985, Archbishop Gugerotti was appointed as an official at the Congregation for the Eastern Churches and became its undersecretary in 1997. Since December 2001, he has been Apostolic Nuncio — the Pope’s representative — to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, and, from July 2020, Great Britain.  

“While serving as an Apostolic Nuncio for over twenty years in six different nations, Archbishop Gugerotti has become one of the Church’s most experienced, respected, and accomplished diplomats,” Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said. “Having recently concluded his mission in Ukraine — where I first met him — in order to become the Pope’s representative to the United Kingdom, Archbishop Gugerotti has ably advocated for the Church’s diplomatic positions on some of Europe’s most pressing challenges. I am grateful that he will deliver the Keeley Vatican Lecture and share his experience and wisdom.”

The Keeley Vatican Lecture, facilitated annually by the Nanovic Institute, provides a way to deepen Notre Dame’s connection to the Holy See by bringing distinguished representatives from the Vatican to explore questions surrounding the University’s Catholic mission. Established in 2005 through the generous support of alumnus Terrence R. Keeley ’81, lecturers typically spend several days on campus, joining classes, celebrating Mass with students and conversing with faculty members. Past Keeley Vatican Lectures have included Rev. Fr. Hans Zollner, Dr. Barbara Jatta, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, and Ukrainian Archbishop Borys Gudziak. An archive of videos of past lectures is available here.

Event details | Press Release | Event Brief | Photo Gallery