Archbishop Xuereb awarded prestigious Korean honor

By Vatican News

Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, former Apostolic Nuncio to Korea and Mongolia, was awarded the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Medal (Gwanghwa Medal) by the Government of the Republic of Korea in recognition of his contribution to the development of friendship between the Holy See and Korea.

Order of Merit

The ceremony was held on December 20 at the Embassy of Korea to the Holy See. The Order of Merit Gwanghwa Medal is the highest diplomatic honor bestowed by the Korean government.

The ceremony was also attended by Archbishop Luciano Russo, Secretary for Pontifical Representatives.

In the service of good relations

Archbishop Alfred Xuereb served as Apostolic Nuncio to Korea for more than 5 years, where - as highlighted by the Korean Embassy - he fostered and promoted the exchange of friendly relations between the Holy See and Korea, strengthened communication between the two States, and supported the activities of the Korean Catholic community.

On December 8, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Xuereb as nuncio to Morocco.