Pope Francis appoints new Archbishop to Morocco

The head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis has named Archbishop Alfred Xuereb as Apostolic Nuncio in Morocco, Vatican News reported. Archbishop Xuereb previously held the same position in South Korea and Mongolia.

Archbishop Xuereb succeeds Archbishop Vito Rallo who was the Pope's representative in the North African country for eight years (2015 - 2023). During his stay in Morocco, Archbishop Rallo was awarded the Wissam Alaouite of the Order of the Grand Cordon in November, the highest recognition of the Kingdom of Morocco awarded by King Mohamed VI. In 2023, the Pope accepted his resignation.

For the record, Archbishop Alfred Xuereb was born in Gozo (Malta) in 1958. «Ordained a priest in 1984, he began his service in 1991 at the Secretariat of the Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical Lateran University», the same source added.

He served as the second private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI in 2007; and then, in 2013, as first private secretary of Pope Francis. In 2014, Archbishop Xuereb was appointed Secretary General of the Secretariat for the Economy and in 2018 as Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia.