Giorgio Zur
German archbishop (1930–2019)
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Giorgio Zur (15 February 1930 – 8 January 2019) was a Catholic archbishop and diplomat of the Holy See.
Giorgio Zur | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop | |
| |
| Native name | Georg Zur |
| See | Titular Archbishop of Sesta |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 February 1930 |
| Died | 8 January 2019 (aged 88) |
Biography
The son of a master tailor, Giorgio Zur studied in Rome at the Gregorian University, where he obtained a licentiate in philosophy and theology and a doctorate in canon law. On 10 October 1955, he was ordained to the priesthood. After pastoral work as a chaplain in the Archdiocese of Bamberg, he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1960.[1] He then entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See and fulfilled assignments in India, Mexico, Burundi, and Uganda.
Pope John Paul II appointed him on 5 February 1979 as the Titular Archbishop of Sesta and Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia.[2] He was consecrated on 24 February by Cardinal Jean-Marie Villot with co-consecrators Cardinal Agostino Casaroli and Archbishop Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy. On 3 May 1985 Zur was appointed the Apostolic Nuncio to Paraguay.[3] On 13 August 1990, Pope John Paul appointed him Pro-Nuncio to India and Nepal.[4][5]
He was president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1998 to 2000.[6] Zur was named Nuncio to Russia on 29 January 2000.[7] In the Russian Federation, Zur worked to improve relations with Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow, but his repeated protests against the Russian Government's expulsion of a Catholic bishop and several priests soon made his position untenable.[6]
On 8 October 2002 he was appointed Nuncio to Austria.[6][8] Having reached the age limit for bishops, he retired and took up residence in Rome.