Michael Banach

{{Short description|American prelate of the Catholic Church|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Michael Wallace Banach

| honorific-suffix =

| archbishop_of = Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary

| image = Michael Banach FotoThalerTamas.jpg

| caption =

| province =

| diocese =

| see =

| appointed = May 3, 2022

| enthroned =

| retired =

| predecessor = Michael August Blume

| successor =

| ordination = July 2, 1988

| ordained_by = Timothy Joseph Harrington

| consecration = April 27, 2013

| consecrated_by = Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone

| other_post = Titular Archbishop of Memphis

| previous_post = {{unbulleted list | Apostolic Nuncio to Senegal, Mauritania, Cabo Verde and Guinea-Bissau (2016-2022) | Apostolic Nuncio to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (2013-2016)}}

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|11|19}}

| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| religion = Roman Catholic

| residence =

| parents =

| alma_mater =

| signature =

| nationality =

| coat_of_arms =

| motto = Humanitate Et Caritate
(Humanity and charity)

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Michael Wallace Banach

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Archbishop

| image = File:Template-Archbishop.svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

Michael Wallace Banach (born November 19, 1962) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1994. He has been apostolic nuncio to Hungary since May 2022. He has served as an observer at a United Nations agency and as apostolic nuncio to several nations in Asia and Africa.

Biography

Michael Wallace Banach was born on November 19, 1962, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was ordained on July 2, 1988, by Bishop Timothy Harrington as a priest for the Diocese of Worcester. In 1992, Banach completed his preparation for a diplomatic career for the Holy See at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome.{{cite web|publisher=Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy|language =it|access-date = July 20, 2019 | title = Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999 |url = https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdeccles/documents/1950-1999.htm }}

Diplomatic career

He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1994, and fulfilled assignments in the nunciatures in Bolivia and Nigeria as well as in Rome in the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.

On January 22, 2007 Banach was appointed permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations Office at Vienna and United Nations Industrial Development Organization and as permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = July 20, 2019 | date= January 22, 2017 | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2007/01/22/0034/00098.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 22.01.2007}}

On February 22, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI named Banach titular archbishop of Memphis and gave him the title apostolic nuncio.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = July 20, 2019 | date= February 22, 2013 | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/02/22/0116/00298.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 22.02.2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicfreepress.org/lead-story-1/2013/02/22/pope-names-worcesters-msgr-banach-longtime-us-vatican-diplomat-to-be-apostolic-nuncio/|title=Pope names Worcester's Msgr. Banach, longtime US Vatican diplomat, to be apostolic nuncio|date=February 22, 2013|website=catholicfreepress.org|accessdate=January 18, 2015}} On April 16, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = November 26, 2019 | date= April 16, 2013 | language = it | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/04/16/0230/00513.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 16.04.2013}}{{cite news | url = http://www.telegram.com/article/20130416/NEWS/304179997/0 | title = Archbishop Michael Banach, Worcester native, gets new post | access-date = July 20, 2019 | work = Worcester Telegram & Gazette | date= April 16, 2013 | first = Bronislaus B. | last = Kush }} Banach received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone on April 27, 2013, in Rome. His co-consecrators were Cardinals Marc Ouellet and Fernando Filoni. He was given additional titles over the next few years: on May 18, 2013, apostolic nuncio to the Solomon Islands;{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = July 20, 2019 | date= May 18, 2013 | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/05/18/0308/00699.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 18.05.2013}} on March 19, 2016, apostolic nuncio to Senegal and apostolic delegate to Mauritania;{{cite press release | access-date = November 23, 2019 | date= March 19, 2016 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2016/03/19/0202/00435.html | language = it | title = Rinunce e nomine, 19.03.2016 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}

on July 9, 2016, apostolic nuncio to Cabo Verde;{{cite press release | access-date = January 17, 2020 | date= July 9, 2016 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/07/09/160709e.html | title = Other Pontifical Acts, 22.08.2016 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}

on August 22, 2016, apostolic nuncio to Guinea-Bissau.{{cite press release | access-date = December 8, 2019 | date= August 22, 2016 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2016/08/22/0593/01329.html | language = it | title = Rinunce e nomine, 22.08.2016 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}

On May 13, 2017, his title in Mauritania changed from apostolic delegate to apostolic nuncio.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = July 20, 2019 | date= May 13, 2017 | language = it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2017/05/13/0325/00732.html | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 13.05.2017}}

On May 3, 2022, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to Hungary.{{Cite press release | url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/05/03/220503a.html|title=Resignations and Appointments, 03.05.2022 |publisher = Holy See Press Office |date=May 3, 2022 | access-date = 6 September 2022}}