Archbishop Eterovic, a Croatian, is replacing Belgian Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, 75, who handed in his resignation to the Pope for reasons of age, the Vatican press office reported today.
Nikola Eterovic was born in Pucisca on Jan. 20, 1951. Ordained a priest in June 1977, he has a licentiate in theological and pastoral sciences relating to the missions.
He entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in March 1980, serving in Ivory Coast, Spain and Nicaragua, and in the Vatican Secretariat of State’s Section for Relations with States.
He was appointed apostolic nuncio in Ukraine on May 22, 1999.
Archbishop Eterovic speaks eight languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian.
The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution, established by Pope Paul VI in 1965 in response to the wish of the participants of the Second Vatican Council, to keep alive the spirit of the conciliar experience. The synod offers advice to the Pope in the governance of the Church.
