Apostolic Nuncio in Southern Africa Calls for Love, Dialogue, and Service at Book Launch

By Sabrine Amboka

Pretoria, 17 June, 2026 / 11:20 am (ACI Africa).

The Apostolic Nuncio in South Africa has described love as the foundation of authentic Christian service and diplomacy, noting that the modern world needs more discussions on virtue, moral responsibility, and human dignity.

In his Monday, June 15, address during the official launch of his book, “Southern Africa, My Love” at St. John Vianney Regional Major Seminary in Pretoria, Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński said that the publication is fundamentally “about love” and reflects his encounters with people and communities across Southern Africa during the first years of his mission.

“Many people have asked me a simple question: What is this book about? My answer is equally simple: This book is about love,” the Vatican Diplomat said.

“The title itself reveals this: Southern Africa, My Love. Moreover, as the subtitle indicates, this is only the first part of a story that continues to unfold,” he added.

Archbishop Jagodziński explained that while diplomacy is often associated with political interests, negotiations, and international relations, the mission of the Church's representatives must be rooted in love, following the example of St. Peter.

Quoting the Gospel of John, he recalled Christ's question to Peter after the Resurrection, “Do you love me?”, noting that Peter's mission began with love and that the ministry of Peter's successors must continue to be guided by the same principle.

The Polish-born Archbishop underscored the true meaning of love, encouraging the people to emulate Christ's love for others through self-giving and service.

“Love means giving one's life,” he said, and explained, “Most of us will never be called to offer our lives dramatically or heroically. Yet every day we are invited to give something of ourselves: our time, our attention, our patience, our compassion, our willingness to listen and to accompany others. In this sense, every authentic encounter is an act of love.”

Archbishop Jagodziński said the newly launched book, which he wrote himself, is a collection of encounters with individuals and communities from different walks of life, including clergy, religious, young people, diplomats, political leaders, and ordinary faithful.

“Behind every page, there is a person. Behind every article, there is a story. Behind every reflection there is a meeting,” he said, and added, “Each text was born from dialogue.”

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Archbishop Jagodziński, who also represents the Holy Father in Namibia, Botswana, eSwatini, and Lesotho,  explained that the book seeks to preserve reflections born from genuine encounters throughout his pastoral and diplomatic mission.

He clarified that the book is not primarily about himself but about the people of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini, and Botswana, whose faith, resilience, generosity, and hope he said had deeply impressed him.

“I wished to preserve some of the words spoken during the first years of my mission in Southern Africa,” he said.

“Many speeches disappear the moment they are spoken. Yet some reflections deserve to remain, not because they are extraordinary, but because they were born from genuine encounters with extraordinary people,” he added.

The Catholic Archbishop commended the faith and hope of the people of God in the Southern African region, saying, “It is about the faith I have witnessed in cathedrals and chapels, in seminaries and schools, in hospitals and homes, in bustling cities and remote rural communities.”

“It is about the hope I have encountered among people facing poverty, uncertainty, and hardship, yet who continue to trust in God's providence. It is about the generosity, resilience, joy, and spiritual richness of nations that have welcomed me with open hearts. Above all, it is about the conviction that God continues to walk with His people,” he added.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Southern Africa also highlighted the importance of dialogue in building peace and safeguarding human dignity, drawing from Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. 

“The Holy Father presents diplomacy not merely as a technique of international relations, but as a noble service to peace, justice, and the common good,” he said.

Reflecting on Pope Leo XIV's encyclical, the Archbishop said that true diplomacy should be a path of dialogue, an instrument of peace, a defense of international cooperation, a witness to ethical responsibility, and a voice for those affected by war, poverty, violence, and exclusion.

“True diplomacy does not seek the triumph of one side over another. Its purpose is reconciliation. It is not founded upon the logic of power but upon the culture of encounter. It is not driven by fear but inspired by hope,” he said.

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The Vatican diplomat further reflected on the power of words, noting that what people say can either divide or unite, wound or heal.

“Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions; for example, spoken words can change our mood for better or for worse (Magnifica Humanitas, 214),” he said, quoting the  Holy Father’s Encyclical.

The Catholic Archbishop urged the people to focus on the positive side of life despite difficulties, hoping that his publication would be used in transforming people's lives spiritually.

“In a world often overwhelmed by bad news, conflict, and uncertainty, we need reminders that goodness still exists, that dialogue remains possible, and that hope is stronger than fear. If these pages help even one person to believe more deeply in the value of dialogue, to appreciate more profoundly the beauty of human encounter, or to discover the presence of God anew in everyday life, then their purpose will have been fulfilled,” he said.

“Today, therefore, with profound gratitude and sincere hope, I place this book into the hands of its readers,” he said, expressing optimism that the publication would strengthen faith, renew hope, and inspire deeper love of God and neighbor.

“May these pages strengthen our faith. May they renew our hope. And above all, may they inspire us to love more deeply, God, one another, and the world entrusted to our care,” he said.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.