At 10.00 this morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience H.E. Mr. Mario Juan Bosco Cayota Zappettini, ambassador of Uruguay to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.

The following is a brief biography of the new ambassador:

H.E. Mr. Mario Juan Bosco Cayota Zappettini
Ambassador of Uruguay

Mr. Mario Juan Bosco Cayota Zappettini was born in Montevideo on 18 August 1936 and is married with five children.

He attended elementary and secondary schools at the Collegio Sagrado Corazón “Antiguo Seminario” of the Society of Jesus, and subsequently obtained a degree in Philosophy and a PhD from the University of La Plata, Argentina.

He has held the following positions: professor of history and philosophy in secondary schools; professor of history and philosophy in numerous seminars at university level and also at the University of Petrópolis, Brazil, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and the University of Trento, Italy; professor of history and philosophy at the “Msgr. Mariano Soler” Faculty of Theology of Montevideo (1976-2006); president of the Christian Democratic Party, member of the Frente Amplio, holding the office of vice president until November 2016; director and president of the departmental council of Montevideo (2000-2005); ambassador to the Holy See (2005-2011); minister of the Secular Franciscan Order; and director of the Franciscan Centre for Historical Documentation (CEFRADOHIS), for Latin America. He is currently a member of the Verdad y Justicia Commission.

Foreign languages known: Italian.