The new Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
(As provided by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See)
Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis was born on 24 August 1968, in Beirut, Lebanon, to a Maronite family. He was ordained a priest of the Archeparchy of Beirut of the Maronites on 21 May 1994, by Archbishop Khalil Abi-Nader. He graduated utroque iure, with doctorates in both Civil Law and Canon Law.
On 19 June 2000, he entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See. His assignments have included service in the Pontifical Representations in Indonesia, Sudan, and Türkiye. From 2007 until 2018, he served in the Secretariat of State in Rome, in the Section for Relations with States.
On 24 November 2018, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan and Titular Archbishop of Rusellae. On 19 January 2019, in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he received episcopal consecration from Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the principal consecrator, with Cardinal Dominique Mamberti and Archbishop Paul Youssef Matar as the co-consecrators. As his episcopal motto, Archbishop El-Kassis chose Scis Domine Quia Amo Te, taken from the words of Saint Peter in the Gospel of John, “Lord, you know that I love you” (John 21:17).
On 3 January 2023, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the United Arab Emirates. On 22 July 2024, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Yemen and Apostolic Delegate to the Arabian Peninsula, concurrent with his responsibilities as Apostolic Nuncio to the United Arab Emirates.
On 25 July 2026, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop El-Kassis as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York.
Archbishop El-Kassis becomes the eighth Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York since the Holy See became a Permanent Observer State on 6 April 1964. He succeeds Monsignor Alberto Giovannetti (1964–1973), Archbishop (later Cardinal) Giovanni Cheli (1973–1986), Archbishop (later Cardinal) Renato Martino (1986–2002), Archbishop Celestino Migliore (2002–2010), Archbishop Francis Chullikatt (2010–2014), Archbishop Bernardito Auza (2014–2019), and Archbishop Gabriele Caccia (2019–2026).