KENYA: New Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya Appointed
Bert Van Megen
Most Rev. Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya is therefore not a stranger in the Region. His last assignment was in two of the AMECEA countries (Sudan and Eritrea) where the Catholic Church is a minority. As Chargé d’ Affaires in Malawi (2010-2014, he was very instrumental during the preparation of the AMECEA 18th Plenary Assembly in Malawi which took place in 2014 and was a big success.
Born on October 4, 1961 in the town of Eygelshoven in Netherlands, Archbishop Van Megen was ordained to priesthood on June 13, 1987, having completed his studies at the diocesan seminary of Rolduc. After his ordination he was stationed in parishes in Nieuweinde and Schaesberg in the Diocese of Roermond and later entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service where he has subsequently worked at Nunciatures in Eritrea-Sudan, Brazil, Slovakia, Israel and Malawi.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Sudan was established in 1972 and Archbishops Van Megen was the eighth nuncio. It was during his tenure in Sudan that the current Archbishop to Khartoum, Most Rev. Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria, was appointed following the retirement of H.E. Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako.
The previous nuncios to Sudan also represented the Holy See in other parts of Africa at the same time, specifically Eritrea. Archbishop Van Megen also served as Nuncio to Eritrea and it was during his tenure that the Metropolitan Church sui iuris (i.e. “of its own right”) in Eritrea was erected on January 19 2015, separating it from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Addis Ababa and elevating the Diocese of Asmara to the status of Metropolitan Archdiocese. Subsequently Most Rev. Menghesteab Tesfamariam, MCCJ, was appointed first Metropolitan Archbishop of Asmara.
The appointment of Archbishop Van Megen as Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya was made official on February 15, 2019. He takes over from Most Rev. Charles D. Balvo the former Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan who on September 21 was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Czech Republic.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
