On 7 March 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, entrusting the Italian prelate with the Holy See’s diplomatic and ecclesial representation in the country.
Archbishop Caccia succeeds Cardinal Christophe Pierre, whose resignation was accepted after reaching the canonical retirement age of 80 on 30 January 2026. Since 2019, Archbishop Caccia had served as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York City, where he represented the Vatican in international diplomatic and humanitarian discussions.
Responding to the appointment, Archbishop Caccia said he felt “honored and deeply humbled” by the Holy Father’s decision. He described the role as a “mission at the service of communion and peace,” noting that he accepts the responsibility with both joy and a sense of humility. The archbishop also highlighted that his new mission begins during the year in which the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
Born in Milan, Italy, on 24 February 1958, Caccia was ordained a priest in 1983 by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1991, later serving in Tanzania and the Vatican Secretariat of State. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, and in 2017 he was named Nuncio to the Philippines before his mission at the United Nations.