New papal nuncio likely to continue radical downsizing of Catholic dioceses in Ireland

He was born in 1960 in Biskupiec, northern Poland, and was ordained in 1985 before studying for a doctorate in canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome.

Pawlowski then entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service and was made archbishop in 2009 when appointed papal nuncio to the Republic of the Congo and Gabon.

In 2015, he returned to the Vatican, serving in the Secretariat of State, becoming head of its section for diplomatic staff in 2017. In 2022, he was appointed papal nuncio to Greece. He speaks Italian, French, Russian, English, German and Portuguese.

A papal nuncio is effectively the Vatican’s ambassador to Ireland. He will also automatically become dean of the diplomatic corps in the State.

In church terms, his primary role is in the appointment of bishops, making recommendations to Rome. More recently in Ireland, the nuncio has also played a key role in the reduction of Irish Catholic dioceses, a path currently being consulted on with the laity in Scotland.

The new nuncio succeeds Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor (70), who served in Ireland from February 2023 until July this year, when he retired.

In his three years, Archbishop Montemayor, originally from Argentina and another Vatican career diplomat, oversaw some of the most radical changes in the structure of the Irish Catholic Church in 900 years, with a significant reduction in the number of dioceses.

In 1111, at the Synod of Ráth Breasail, Ireland’s current diocesan structure was set up.

Some “downsizing” had taken place before Archbishop Montemayor arrived in 2023. In 2021, Clonfert was joined with Galway. But on his watch this process was sped up, with Achonry joining Elphin in 2025 and, earlier this year, Killala with Tuam. It meant six west of Ireland Catholic dioceses were reduced to three.

Last July, Ossory diocese – mainly Kilkenny – was similarly joined under one bishop, with Ferns diocese, mainly Wexford.

When it came to the appointment and transfer of bishops, Archbishop Montemayor was similarly active. He appointed Fr Paul Connell Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise in 2023 and Fr Donal Roche as auxiliary bishop of Dublin in 2024.

In 2024, he oversaw the transfer of then Bishop of Raphoe (Donegal) Alan McGuckian SJ to the Diocese of Down and Connor, mainly Belfast and Antrim. Also that year, then bishop of Achonry Paul Dempsey became an auxiliary bishop of Dublin.

In 2025, Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran was also named Bishop of Achonry, while last February, Archbishop of Tuam Francis Duffy was named Bishop of Killala.

Last year, too, Bishop of Ossory Niall Coll was transferred to Raphoe diocese. Last February, Archbishop of Tuam Francis Duffy was also named Bishop of Killala, while last July Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh Michael Router was appointed Bishop of Derry and Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash was also named Bishop of Ossory.

It is likely such downsizing will continue under Archbishop Pawlowski.

More immediately, both Bishop of Clogher (mainly Monaghan) Larry Duffy and Bishop of Cloyne (mainly east Cork) William Crean are due to retire later this year, and there has been speculation for some time that Clogher may be joined with its neighbour Kilmore (mainly Cavan) and Cloyne with Cork and Ross diocese.

Further, since 2018 the Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, has been administrator of the small Co Down diocese of Dromore. It followed the resignation of then Bishop of Dromore John McAreavey in a controversy over his handling of child abuse allegations against the late Fr Malachy Finnegan. That arrangement is expected to be formalised.