In an exclusive interview with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Communication Office, the newly appointed Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Africa shared his personal journey, calling to the priesthood, and vision for service to the Church in Southern Africa.

“My priestly vocation was born in my family and in my parish community,” Monsignor Giacomo Antonicelli, explained. “As a child, I was an altar boy, then a catechist and youth manager. After World Youth Day in 2005 in Cologne, I began the journey of vocational discernment led by my Bishop and the formators of the Pontifical Regional Seminary ‘Pius XI’.”

He fondly recalls that when he entered the seminary, the Rector reassured his parents that the most distant parish he would serve would be about thirty minutes from home — a prediction that did not quite hold.

Mons. Antonicelli was ordained in 2012 and later began diplomatic training at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 2016. His first international posting was in Honduras, where he served for five years. “It was a wonderful experience where I learned how to open my heart to welcome everyone. And now, I must expand it even further to make room for five nations, with their cultures and traditions: South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho,” he said.

Palagianello, his hometown in southern Italy, shaped much of his approach to diplomacy. “It is a community where kinship and friendship ties bind people together, fostering attention and sensitivity. In the international context, we are witnessing a culture of indifference, focused only on one’s own interests. As a diplomat of the Holy See, it is important for me to maintain that sensitivity and kindness of the people from whom I come.”

Reflecting on his doctoral research, Mons. Antonicelli connected his legal-historical studies to the Church’s synodal mission. “While studying in Rome, I tried to preserve the pastoral spirit,” he said.

“The theme of my doctorate, despite its historical-legal approach, led me to consider communion, participation, and mission — the three dimensions proposed for the synodal path. It is important, despite the gradual nature of the processes, to open new horizons to enhance the originality of the statuses present in the ecclesial community, so that lay people, clerics, and religious can ‘feel with the heart of the Church,” he added.

He also emphasized the distinctive role of clerics in Church diplomacy. “Not only for a question of expediency but for theological and ecclesiological coherence, the Apostolic Nuncio cannot be a lay faithful.”

He further said, “A cleric is more suitable for the nature and purpose of the office, because the Nuncio, being directly linked to the munus Petrinum, carries out an important service for hierarchical and ecclesial communion.”

However, he believes lay faithful also have an important role: “Through the diplomatic service of the Holy See, they can make the voice of the Church heard in multilateral contexts, combining their skills with the doctrine and Magisterium of the Church.”

Since his arrival in Southern Africa, Mons. Antonicelli has actively participated in pastoral events across the region. Most recently, he attended the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) Golden Jubilee celebration in Eswatini alongside the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Henryk M. Jagodziński, reflecting the Pontifical Representation’s commitment to being “the Pope’s home” — open to all, where everyone can find an ear and encouragement to live a deeper ecclesial communion.

Mons. Antonicelli’s journey reflects a deep trust in God’s guidance. “It is important to let ourselves be surprised by God and not be afraid to follow Him. Pope Leo gave a message to young people during his first Regina Caeli: ‘Don’t be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord.’ It is truly true that ‘Christ takes nothing away and gives everything.’”

With his pastoral experience, legal training, and diplomatic vision, Mons. Antonicelli continues to strengthen the Church’s mission across Southern Africa, fostering communion, participation, and service in the spirit of synodality.