Pope Benedict XVI has nominated Maltese prelate Monsignor Antoine Camilleri as undersecretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States.

Mgr Camilleri graduated as Doctor of Laws in 1988 and was ordained priest at St John’s Co-Cathedral in 1991.

He then served as vice-parish priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Gżira, and was later sent to read Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University.

Having obtained a doctorate, in 1996 he returned to Malta and was appointed Defender of the Bond at the Archdiocesan Eccles-iastical Tribunal until 1997.

Two years later, Mgr Camilleri joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See and served as Apostolic Nuncio in several countries including Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Uganda and Cuba.

He was later assigned to the Secretariat of State in the Vatican as an official in the Section for Relations with States and Private Secretary to Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States.

The news comes as the Maltese bishops sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI thanking him for his magisterium and for having been a “courageous shepherd”.

In the letter, the bishops said the news of his decision to resign caught them by surprise. Before he retires to a life of prayer, they wanted to let him know how much the Maltese loved him and were grateful for the gift of his ministry.

They extended their thanks for his visit in 2010, for endowing the Church in Malta with the Episcopal ministry of Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, Archbishop Paul Cremona and Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna; for the creation of Maltese Cardinal Prospero Grech and the canonisation of San Ġorġ Preca.