Leo XIV's New German Nuncio Is Typical Francis-era Diplomat
A Dutch prelate born in 1961, van Megen was ordained for Roermond in 1987 and entered the Vatican diplomatic service.
His career includes postings in Somalia, Brazil, Malawi, Sudan, and Eritrea.
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him nuncio to Sudan. Cardinal Pietro Parolin consecrated him a bishop.
He later served as nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, while also acting as the Holy See’s observer to the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat in Nairobi. After twelve years as nuncio in Africa, van Megen’s move to Germany may amount to a cultural shock.
Archbishop van Megen emerges as a typical Francis-era field diplomat: shaped by the Global South, active in UN frameworks, and strongly aligned with interreligious and ecological initiatives.
His expansive praise of Francis places him firmly within the current Vatican trajectory.
Francis-Era Profile: "The Plague of Clericalism"
Monsignor Van Megen’s public messaging closely follows Francis-era priorities: emphasis on the poor, social justice, and environmental responsibility. In 2022, he took a stand against “the plague of clericalism”.
His UN-linked interventions reflect the same framework. A 2024 statement from the Holy See delegation under his role called for urgent global action, warned against unchecked economic growth and technological reliance, and promoted an ecological conversion.
Following Francis’ death, van Megen urged Kenyans (April 25, 2025) to imitate the late pope by becoming “the voice of the marginalized”.
Interreligious Environmental Line
In March 2024, at a UNEA-6 side event in Nairobi, Archbishop van Megen participated in the launch of the Islamic environmental text Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth.
He drew a comparison between the Islamic text and Francis's document 'Laudato Si', stating that the two “resonate in many ways”. He recommended reading the two texts "in tandem", as they form a “harmonious song of praise to God”.
Unusually Exposed Rhetoric for Nuncio
Archbishop Van Megen has also drawn attention for unusually direct political language for a nuncio.
In a 2024 homily, he described Kenyan youth protests as a “revolution,” said they aimed to “cleanse the temple of democracy,” and framed the situation as “oppressors against the oppressed.”
Kenya’s foreign ministry formally protested, calling the remarks “undiplomatic and inflammatory”. The government viewed the Nuncio’s remarks as sympathetic to the protests.
Strong Praise of Francis
In a May 2025 interview (below), Archbishop van Megen strongly defended and interpreted Francis’ embarrassing 2019 gesture of kneeling to kiss the shoes of South Sudan’s political leaders.
The Nuncio described it as an act of humility as if Francis would say: “I humble myself… I go even on my knees… bring peace to this country.”
He further claimed that in doing so, Francis “kissed the feet of the people of South Sudan in which Christ is suffering.”
The same interview contains highly flattering language about Francis:
“Pope Francis gave himself completely… till there was nothing more to give.”
“Like Christ himself did… Pope Francis stepped into those footsteps.”
“He wanted to be with the poorest of the poor… the excluded.”
“The meaning of Pope Francis was to serve those at the fringes.”
“He felt he was part of those people… outcast… who had to start from scratch.”
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