Pedro López Quintana

{{short description|Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1953)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Pedro López Quintana

| honorific-suffix =

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| title = Apostolic Nuncio to Austria
Titular Archbishop of Acropolis

| image = Pedro López Quintana (cropped).jpg

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| caption = Pedro López Quintana in 2014

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| province =

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| elected =

| appointed = 4 March 2019

| term =

| term_start =

| quashed =

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| predecessor = Peter Stephan Zurbriggen

| opposed =

| successor =

| other_post = Titular Archbishop of Acropolis

| previous_post = {{bulleted list | Apostolic Nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia (2014-2019) | Apostolic Nuncio to Canada (2009-2013) | Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal (2003-2009) }}

| ordination = 15 June 1980

| ordained_by = Pope John Paul II

| consecration = 6 January 2003

| consecrated_by = Pope John Paul II, Leonardo Sandri and Antonio Maria Vegliò

| cardinal =

| created_cardinal_by =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|07|27}}

| birth_place = Barbastro, Spain

| death_date =

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| nationality = Spanish

| religion =

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| alma_mater = Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy

| motto = Caritas

| signature =

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| coat_of_arms = Coat_of_arms_of_Pedro_Lopez_Quintana.svg

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| offstyle=Your Excellency

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| image = Coat_of_arms_of_Pedro_Lopez_Quintana.svg

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Pedro López Quintana (born 27 July 1953) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1984. Since becoming an archbishop in 2003, he has been the head of the papal offices in India, Nepal, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. He has been Apostolic Nuncio to Austria since March 2019.

Biography

Pedro López Quintana was born on 27 July 1953 in Barbastro, Spain. His parents were from Galicia. He entered the seminary in Compostela where he did his ecclesiastical studies and graduated in theology. He was ordained a priest on 15 June 1980 by Pope John Paul II.

Diplomatic career

File:Rafael Mariano Grossi signs Book of Condolences (00212057) (54475117003).jpg as he signs the Book of Condolences for Pope Francis, 2025]]

To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1980{{cite web|publisher=Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy|language =it|access-date = 17 June 2020| title = Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999 |url = https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdeccles/documents/1950-1999.htm }} He earned a licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum). He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 10 February 1984 and his early assignments included stints in Madagascar, the Philippines, and India. On 7 February 1998, he took up the post of Assessor for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State in Rome.{{cite web |website = Apostolic Nunciature in Canada | url = http://www.nuntiatura.ca/en/history/ | access-date = 17 June 2020 | title= History }}

On 27 August 1986, Pope John Paul II appointed him a chaplain of His Holiness with the title monsignor.{{Citation |trans-title= Chaplains of His Holiness | title = Cappellani di Sua Santità | language = Italian | publisher = Vatican | place = Rome, IT | journal = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS%2078%20%5B1986%5D%20-%20ocr.pdf | volume = 78 | year = 1986 | page = 1208}}.

On 12 December 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular archbishop of Acropolis. He received his episcopal consecration on 6 January 2003 from Pope John Paul.{{cite news | work= Zenit | access-date = 9 June 2019 | url = https://zenit.org/articles/profiles-of-dozen-new-bishops/ | date= 6 January 2003 | title = Profiles of Dozen New Bishops}} On 8 February of that year, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal.{{cite press release | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2003/02/08/0065/00189.html | access-date = 8 January 2020| date= 8 February 2003 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 08.02.2003| publisher = Holy See Press Office}} On 10 December 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him nuncio to Canada,{{cite press release | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2009/12/10/0774/01839.html | access-date = 8 January 2020| date= 10 December 2009 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 10.12.2009| publisher = Holy See Press Office}} a post he resigned on 28 September 2013.

On 8 March 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic nuncio to Lithuania.{{cite press release | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/03/08/0170/00358.html | access-date = 6 August 2019 | date= 8 March 2014 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 08.03.2014| publisher = Holy See Press Office}} On 22 March 2014, Pope Francis also appointed him Nuncio to Estonia and to Latvia.{{cite press release | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/03/22/0197/00436.html | access-date = 6 August 2019 | date= 22 March 2014 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 22.03.2014| publisher = Holy See Press Office}} This continues the recent practice of having a single apostolic nuncio representing the Holy See in the Baltic states but residing at the nunciature in Vilnius.

On 4 March 2019, Francis named him Apostolic Nuncio to Austria.{{cite press release | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2019/03/04/0186/00377.html | access-date = 6 August 2019 | date= 4 March 2019 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 04.03.2019| publisher = Holy See Press Office}}