Thaddeus Okolo

Jude Thaddeus Okolo KC*HS is a Nigerian Catholic prelate who has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1990. He has been an archbishop since 2008 and held the post of Apostolic Nuncio in several countries. He has been the Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic since 2022. A native Igbo language speaker and English, Okolo is also fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Czech.

Biography

Okolo was born in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria on 18 December 1956. He was ordained a priest by Archbishop Francis Arinze on 2 July 1983 before he was assigned to the Roman Curia, where he worked in Dialogue with Christian Sects from 1984 to 1986. Afterwards, he undertook his post-graduate studies in Rome and obtained a doctorate in Canon Law and a Diploma in Diplomatic Studies. He also attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

Diplomatic career

Okolo has served in diplomatic missions and nunciatures in Sri Lanka, Haiti, the Antillean Islands and other Caribbean island nations, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Australia. On 2 August 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him titular archbishop of Novica and Apostolic Nuncio to the Central African Republic and Chad. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Francis Arinze on 27 September 2008.
On 7 October 2013, Pope Francis named him Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic and Apostolic Delegate to Puerto Rico. On 13 May 2017, he was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, and on 1 May 2022, he became the Apostolic Nuncio to Czech Republic.