Archbishop Noël Treanor, apostolic nuncio to the European Union since November 2022, died this Sunday, August 11 at the age of 73 in Brussels (Belgium) due to a heart attack, according to reports Vatican News.
Born on Christmas Day 1950 in the town of Monaghan (Ireland), at the age of 23 he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Clogher, in the north of the island, where he was parish priest, hospital chaplain and director of adult education. Already then he became involved in community affairs as a member of the European Affairs Council of the Irish Bishops’ Conference.
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In 1989, he began working at the Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), an organization of which he was general secretary from 1993 to 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Down and Connor.
On November 26, 2022, Pope Francis entrusted him with the Apostolic Nunciature to the European Union and granted him the personal title of archbishop.
His successor at the head of the Diocese of Down and Connor, the Jesuit Bishop Alan McGuckian, stressed that Bishop Treanor “continuously dedicated his life to the proclamation of the Gospel, to the pastoral care of the vulnerable and to the social mission of the Church.” , in a statement released this Monday.
“Archbishop Treanor will be remembered as a tremendously talented academic, a competent modern linguist and a very skilled diplomat,” said Bishop McGuckian, who also highlighted “his extensive knowledge of Catholic social teaching and his expert understanding of legislation and the policy of the European Union.
Furthermore, he has valued “his work over the years as president of Justice and Peace Europewhere he sought to remind others to look beyond their personal circumstances and be more sensitive to the needs of their brothers and sisters around the world, especially those living in destitution, slavery and conflict.”
Likewise, Bishop McGuckian highlighted that Bishop Treanor supported the peace process in Northern Ireland and worked with interest in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue.
“As we thank God for the years of ministry and service of Archbishop Noël Treanor, we commend him to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “I commend his soul into the hands of God and pray that he may enjoy eternal rest,” the condolence message concludes.
For its part, the COMECE has also expressed its regret for the death of the archbishop. Its president, Monsignor Mariano Crociata, stressed that Monsignor Treanor was “a tireless servant of God, a true man of dialogue, a precise analyst and an orator of exceptional talent.”
“When Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to the EU in 2022, his vast experience greatly facilitated his diplomatic efforts, fostering collaboration between the EU and the Catholic Church. His death is an important loss for all of us, for the Church and for the European Union,” he added.
The general secretary of COMECE, Father Manuel Barrios Prieto, has noted for his part that “he was a close friend, always accessible, kind and supportive of the entire COMECE Secretariat and the Catholic organizations in Brussels. The loss of him is deeply felt by all of us.”
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.