FILIPINO Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana has been appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.
Aside from Yllana, there are two other Filipino apostolic nuncios, namely Archbishop Bernardito Auza, nuncio to Spain, and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, nuncio to Guatemala.
Yllana has represented the Holy See in four continents, namely Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
"Now, Pope Francis is calling him to carry out an important mission in the Holy Land," a Vatican News report read.
Prior to his appointment, the 73-year-old prelate had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia.
Yllana is set to succeed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, who was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to India last March.
Born on February 6, 1948 in Naga City, Philippines, Yllana was ordained a priest on March 19, 1972.
He graduated as doctor juris utriusque (Doctor of Both Laws) at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
After completing his studies at the Ecclesiastical Academy in 1984, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
He has served successively as pontifical representations in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary, and Taiwan.
In December 2001, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, and consecrated him bishop on January 6, 2002 in St. Peter's Basilica (titular archbishop of Montecorvino).
He was also entrusted with the leadership of the nunciature in the Solomon Islands.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan in 2006. In 2010, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In February 2015, Pope Francis appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)