Charles Daniel Balvo

{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Charles Daniel Balvo

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Apostolic Nuncio to Australia
Titular Archbishop of Castello

| image = Charles Daniel Balvo.jpg

| image_size =

| alt = Charles Daniel Balvo

| caption = Charles Daniel Balvo

| appointed = January 17, 2022

| retired =

| predecessor = Adolfo Tito Yllana

| successor =

| other_post = Titular Archbishop of Castello

| previous_post = {{bulleted list | Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic (2018–22) | Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan (2013–18) | Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Kiribati, Palau, Cook Islands, Samoa and Nauru (2006–13) }}

| ordination = June 6, 1976

| ordained_by = Leo Thomas Maher

| consecration = June 29, 2005

| consecrated_by = Edward Egan

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|6|29}}

| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality =

| alma_mater = Pontifical Gregorian University, Catholic University of America

| signature =

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Charles Daniel Balvo

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Archbishop

| image = File:Template-Archbishop.svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

Charles Daniel Balvo (born June 29, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving in diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1987. His current posting is as apostolic nuncio to Australia. He has been an apostolic nuncio and archbishop since 2005.

Biography

= Early years =

A native of Brooklyn, Balvo was born on June 29, 1951. He grew up in Suffern, New York, where he graduated from Sacred Heart School. He studied at the Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, both in Manhattan and in Queens.

Balvo resided at the Pontifical North American College in Rome while obtaining a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree and a Licentiate of Biblical Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Returning to New York Balvo served at Sacred Heart parish in Newburgh, New York, from 1976 to 1981, and then at St. John the Evangelist in Mahopac, New York, for a year. Balvo obtained his Licentiate of Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and his Doctor of Canon Law degree at the Gregorian University.

Diplomatic career

On April 1, 2005, Balvo was appointed titular archbishop of Castello and apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Palau and Vanuatu.{{cite press release | access-date = September 24, 2018 | publisher =Holy See Press Office |date=April 1, 2005 |url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/04/01/0176/00375.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 01.04.2005 | language =it}} He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Edward Egan on June 29, 2005.{{cite news |author=Francis Njuguna |date=April 18, 2013 |title=New York-born Archbishop Balvo Begins Term as Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya |work=Catholic New York |url=http://cny.org/stories/New-York-born-Archbishop-Balvo-Begins-Term-as-Apostolic-Nuncio-to-Kenya,9192 |access-date=September 24, 2018}} The Cook Islands were added to Balvo's responsibilities on March 25, 2006,{{cite press release | access-date = December 12, 2019 | publisher =Holy See Press Office | date=March 25, 2006 |url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2006/03/25/0149/00442.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 25.03.2006 | language =it}}{{efn|The Cook Islands were included in the list of nations to which Balvo was named Apostolic Nuncio on April 1, 2005, and then announced separately on March 25, 2006, suggesting that the original announcement was premature.}} Samoa on April 1, 2006,{{cite press release | access-date = September 24, 2018 | publisher =Holy See Press Office | date=April 1, 2006 |url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2006/04/01/0161/00478.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 01.04.2006 | language =it}} and Nauru on January 30, 2007.{{cite press release | access-date = September 24, 2018 | publisher =Holy See Press Office | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2007/01/30/0049/00128.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 30.01.2007|date= January 30, 2007| language =it}}

Balvo was appointed as apostolic nuncio to Kenya on January, 17, 2013, as well as permanent observer to United Nations Organizations for the Environment and Human Settlements (UNEP and UN-Habitat).{{cite press release | access-date = 24 July 2019 | publisher =Holy See Press Office | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/01/17/0028/00071.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 17.01.2013 |date= 17 January 2013| language =it}} After Kenyan Cardinal John Njue denounced US President Barack Obama's call for Kenya to protect LGBTQ rights,{{cite news| first=Felix |last=Olick |url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000087056 |title= Adam and Eve was no mistake, Cardinal Njue tells US President Obama | work= Standard Digital |date=29 June 2013 | access-date= 24 January 2018}} Balvo told an audience of Kenyan Catholics that: "The homosexuals should be defended against violation of their dignity and human rights, they are human beings like anyone of us".{{cite news | url = https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2013/07/01/popes-envoy-champions-gays-and-lebians-rights_c795004 | access-date = August 10, 2018 | title = Pope's envoy champions gays and lebians rights | date = July 1, 2013 | work = The Star | archive-date = August 10, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180810235615/https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2013/07/01/popes-envoy-champions-gays-and-lebians-rights_c795004 | url-status = dead }}

On December 21, 2013, Balvo was appointed the first apostolic nuncio to South Sudan as well.{{cite press release | access-date = September 24, 2018 | publisher =Holy See Press Office | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/12/21/0860/01935.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 21.12.2013| date= 21 December 2013 | language =it}} Speaking on the South Sudanese civil war, Balvo said civil society needs to be involved not just in negotiations on the government level but “should be actively involved always.” Speaking to CISA news agency February 17, he said civil society and the church have already asked the warring factions to lay down their arms and work out their differences, adding that in the end it is the people who are suffering. "In a country that has a lot of resources, it will not be easy to develop them unless there is peace," he said. He said the church was doing much to help people through promotion of their welfare and would continue to ensure that peace prevails in the nation. "It is very hard to promote and create a society with generations of people that all they have known is violence," he said.{{cite web|url=http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/nuncio-to-south-sudan-proposes-a-path-to-peace|title=Nuncio to South Sudan Proposes a Path to Peace|date=February 20, 2014|work=Zenit}}

On September 21, 2018, Pope Francis named Balvo as apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic{{cite press release | access-date = 24 September 2018 | date= 21 September 2018 | publisher = Holy See Press Office | title = Rinunce e nomine, 21.09.2018| language =it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2018/09/21/0667/01462.html}} and then transferred him to the post of apostolic nuncio to Australia on January, 17, 2022.{{cite press release | access-date = 24 September 2018 | date= 17 January 2022 | publisher = Holy See Press Office | title = Rinunce e nomine, 17.01.2022 |language =it | url =https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/01/17/0040/00075.html }}