PopeLeo XIV has appointed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli as Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia, ending a five-year mission in India marked by a wide-ranging renewal of Church leadership across the country.
Girelli, who arrived in India on March 13, 2021, served as the Holy See’s diplomatic representative during a period of transition for the Catholic Church, overseeing dozens of episcopal appointments and engaging directly with local communities across diverse regions.
During his tenure, Church records show that 92 ecclesiastical announcements were made, including 64 appointments of priests to the episcopate. These led to the installation of 46 bishops across 16 states and one Union Territory, reflecting a broad effort to strengthen leadership and continuity within the Church.
The appointments were concentrated in several key regions, particularly in southern India. Kerala recorded 14 appointments across the Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, and Latin rites, followed by Tamil Nadu with 10, Maharashtra with nine, and Karnataka with eight. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana registered six each.
The distribution highlights both the demographic weight of southern India and the need to sustain leadership across different rites and jurisdictions.
In Northeast India, where Catholic communities are often located in remote and mission territories, the impact was also significant. Six new bishops were appointed during this period, including three diocesan bishops, one archbishop, and two auxiliary bishops.
Beyond appointments, Girelli maintained a visible pastoral presence. He visited dioceses including Itanagar, Miao, Agartala, Tezpur, Bongaigaon, Kohima, Tura, and Guwahati, taking part in episcopal ordinations, the imposition of the pallium, and major Church celebrations.
Among the events he attended were the ordination of Auxiliary Bishop Joachim Walder in Aizawl, the ordination of Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, and the imposition of the pallium on Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh of Shillong. He also joined the centenary celebration of the Catholic faith in Aizawl.
His decision to celebrate Christmas in 2025 in the Diocese of Itanagar underscored his engagement with frontier and mission communities.
The period also saw the elevation of two cardinals from India, including the first from the Telugu region and a priest from Kerala elevated directly to the College of Cardinals. These developments reflected the growing presence and recognition of the Indian Church within the global Catholic community.
Born on March 13, 1953, in Predore, Italy, Girelli was ordained a priest in 1978 and later entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1987. He served in apostolic nunciatures in Cameroon, New Zealand, and the United States, and worked at the Secretariat of State in Vatican City before his assignment to India.
His formation in diplomacy and pastoral ministry shaped an approach that combined administrative coordination with regular engagement on the ground.
Observers note that the scale of episcopal appointments during his tenure facilitated a generational transition in Church leadership, helping ensure continuity in pastoral and missionary work across dioceses.
His transfer to Croatia reflects the Holy See’s practice of rotating diplomatic assignments while maintaining continuity in mission. It also marks the close of a period in which the Church in India saw a significant number of leadership changes within a relatively short span.
As he leaves India, Girelli’s tenure is defined not only by the number of appointments made, but by the breadth of his engagement across regions often distant from the centers of national attention.
His work illustrates how diplomatic service in the Church extends beyond formal representation, taking shape through sustained presence, coordination, and support for local communities.
