Lome, 18 June, 2020 / 10:20 pm (ACI Africa).
Catholic Bishops in Togo have sought to dismiss as “malicious comments” claims that Nigerian-born Archbishop Brian Udaigwe who has been serving as Apostolic Nuncio in Togo and Benin has been sacked.
In their Wednesday, June 17 collective statement, members of the Episcopal Conference of Togo (CET) clarify that the Vatican diplomat has been transferred “after seven years of service” in the two West African nations.
“Since June 13, 2020, the date of the announcement of the appointment of the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Brian Udaigwe to the Nunciature in Sri Lanka, various malicious comments and ill-informed sources have been circulating on social networks about his person and his mission here in Togo,” the members of CET write.
They clarify, “Archbishop Brian Udaigwe has not been dismissed from the diplomatic service, but simply appointed to another Nunciature, the average term of office of a Nuncio being generally 6 years.”
“In reality, he has been appointed to a new position by Pope Francis, after seven years of service in Benin and Togo,” the Bishops note in their collective statement.
