Giovanni Angelo Becciu

His Excellency Giovanni Angelo Becciu
Substitute of the Secretariat of State
See	Rusellae
Appointed	10 May 2011
Predecessor	Fernando Filoni
Other posts	Titular Archbishop of Rusellae
Orders
Ordination	27 August 1972 by Almeida Kanda
Consecration	1 December 2001 by Angelo Sodano
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-02) 2 June 1948 Pattada, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Apostolic Nuncio to Angola (2001-2009) Apostolic Nuncio to São Tomé and Príncipe (2001-2009) Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba (2009-2011)

Styles of Giovanni Angelo Becciu
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Grace
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	none

Giovanni Angelo Becciu (born 2 June 1948) was appointed Substitute for General Affairs by Pope Benedict XVI on 10 May 2011.^[1] Becciu had previously been nuncio to Cuba.

Becciu was born in 1948 in Pattada (Sassari), Sardinia, Italy. After completing his studies in theology and philosophy he was ordained to the priesthood on 27 August 1972. He was invited to attend the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to gain practical experience in diplomacy and at the same time a doctoral degree. After four years Becciu earned a doctoral degree in canon law and formally entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 May 1984. He worked at the Pontifical Representations in Central African Republic, Sudan, New Zealand, Liberia, United Kingdom, France and the United States. Becciu knows the French, English, Spanish and Portuguese languages.

On 15 October 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Angola, at the same time as was customary elevating him as Titular Archbishop of Roselle. On 15 November of the same year he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio also to São Tomé and Principe. He received his episcopal consecration on 1 December 2001 with Cardinal Angelo Sodano as principal consecrator and Archbishop Paolo Romeo and Bishop Sebastiano Sanguinetti as principal co-consecrators.

On 23 July 2009 Pope Benedict named him Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba. There he played a role in the negotiations, led by Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, that led to the release of dozens of political prisoners.^[2]

Archbishop Becciu remained in Cuba until 10 May 2011, when he was recalled to the Roman Curia to work as Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, replacing Fernando Filoni, who was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The Substitute for General Affairs usually meets with the Pontiff each day to handle the business of the Vatican, and his position might be compared roughly with that of a White House chief of staff. He reports directly to the Cardinal Secretary of State.

In January 2014 Becciu called on former vice-commander of the Swiss guard to give names regarding claims that a powerful ‘gay lobby’ existed in the Vatican. Retired Swiss Guard Commander Elmar Mäder told Swiss weekly Sonntag that a gay network existed in the Roman Curia, insinuating that it posed a “security risk” to the Pope.^[3]

References