Pope Leo XIV appoints Lebanese-born archbishop as permanent observer to United Nations

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Lebanese-born Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis to serve as the Holy See’s permanent observer at the United Nations in New York, the Vatican announced on July 25.

The Vatican is not a full member of the United Nations, but it enjoys permanent observer status. The international organization says permanent observers “have free access to most meetings and relevant documentation.”

Born in Beruit, Archbishop El-Kassis previously served as apostolic nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. He also served as apostolic delegate to the Arabian Peninsula.

He was ordained a priest in 1994 and consecrated at St. Peter’s Basilica in 2019. He is fluent in Arabic, French, Italian, English, Indonesian, Spanish and German.

In his role at the United Nations, El-Kassis will join Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, who serves as the Holy See’s permanent observer at the organization in Geneva.

The Vatican first joined the United Nations as a non-member observer in 1964. Palestine is the only other polity that enjoys permanent observer status at the international body.