Still alive

For the past number of months, following the annual Autumn gathering of the NFPC in Victoria, I've been MIA from these pages. Some may think that I've been sleeping, but the truth is anything but.

There's lots that I could write about, but let's start with today - or yesterday as it turns out. The Holy Father received one of my good friends in audience yesterday, and I'm glad to see this. Some may know that I first met Andrés Carrascosa while living in Ottawa. We became good friends while I was there, and have managed to keep in touch - albeit somewhat sporatically - over the past number of years.

I had already completed my stint in Ottawa when I received the joyful news that my friend had been appointed Titular Archbishop of Elo and Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Congo and to Gabon. In fact, I had the great privilege of attending his Episcopal Ordination which took place in Rome on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary 2004.

• Cardinal Sodano's homily was preached in French and in Spanish

Since that time, he has been hard at work. With his infectious joy for life and his customary love for God's people, he has managed to do much good in those two African nations, but life has not always been easy there either. There has been civil war brewing just across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and no doubt he's been part of that drama too.

In mid-January of this year, the Holy Father appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Panama. This means that for the past six weeks or so, he's been hard at work tying up loose ends, and packing his belongings. By now, they are probably well on their way and he is passing through Rome on his way to Central America. By custom, a newly-appointed Nuncio has three months from the date of his appointment to arrive in the place where he has been asked to serve, so I would expect that he will be in Panama sometime around Easter.