Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza - Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations

UVU to host Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations

His Excellency The Most Reverend Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, will be the keynote speaker for both the 2015 Mormon Studies Conference, titled “Mormons and Catholics: From the Margins to the Mainstream”, and the UVU Center for Constitutional Studies Symposium on Religious Freedom. The joint keynote address will be held on April 13 at 7 p.m. in the UVU Classroom Building auditorium.

“We are honored to host H.E. The Most Reverend Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza who represents the Holy See at the United Nations,” said Rusty Butler, associate vice president for the University’s department of International Affairs & Diplomacy. “In his role as the U.N. Archbishop, Auza promotes and works on international issues that reflect the beliefs and practices of his church. Both the LDS and the Catholic churches share strong values regarding religious freedom and freedom of conscience. Our university community is most fortunate to be taught by this outstanding scholar and leader.”

A native of the Philippines, Auza was  ordained priest for  the Diocese of  Tagbilaran in 1985; only a year later he was  incardinated to the newly created  Diocese of Talibon. He earned a doctorate in  theology and  entered the diplomatic service of t he Holy See in 1990. He served at the Apostolic  Nunciature in  Madagascar, Bulgaria and Albania before serving as the  secretariat of state  in the Vatican. From there, Auza was appointed to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. In 2008, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti and was ordained Titular Archbishop of Suacia. In July 2014, Auza was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York as well as permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States.

Auza’s keynote address, as well as both the Mormon Studies Conference and the Symposium for Religious Freedom, is free and open to the public. The office of International Affairs is collaborating with the UVU Center for Constitutional Studies and the UVU Religious Studies program to sponsor this event.

UVU Mormon Studies Conference