Jean-Marie Speich

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Jean-Marie Speich
Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia Apostolic Delegate to Kosovo Titular Archbishop of Sulci
Appointed	19 March 2019
Predecessor	Juliusz Janusz
Other post(s)	Titular Archbishop of Sulci
Previous post(s)	Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana (2013–2019)
Orders
Ordination	9 October 1982
Consecration	24 October 2013 by Pope Francis, Jean-Pierre Gallet and Antonio Mattiazzo
Personal details
Born	Jean-Marie Speich (1955-06-15) 15 June 1955 (age 69) Strasbourg, France
Nationality	French
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Alma mater	Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy Pontifical Gregorian University
Motto	WI I KAN (As I can)
Coat of arms

Styles of Jean-Marie Speich
Reference style	His Excellency
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Ordination history of Jean-Marie Speich
History Diaconal ordination Date 26 June 1982 Priestly ordination Ordained by Bishop Léon Arthur Elchinger, Bishop of Strasbourg. Date 9 October 1982 Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Pope Francis Co-consecrators Giovanni Tonucci Jean-Pierre Grallet, O.F.M. Date 24 October 2013

Jean-Marie Speich (born 15 June 1955) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who has worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1986. He has been an archbishop since 2013 and Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Apostolic Delegate to Kosovo since March 2019.

Biography

Speich was born on 15 June 1955 in Strasbourg, France, to Xavier Speich and Marie Thérèse Goetz, residents of Willgottheim (Bas-Rhin).[1] His sister Andrée Speich is a cloistered Benedictine nun.^[citation needed]

Speich was ordained to the priesthood on 9 October 1982,[2] by Bishop Léon Arthur Elchinger.^[citation needed] From 1982 to 1984, he served as assistant pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in the Archdiocese of Strasbourg.[3] To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1984.[4]

Diplomatic career

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1986 and was assigned to Apostolic Nunciatures of the Holy See in Haiti, Nigeria, Bolivia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Spain and Cuba.[2] On 27 March 2008, he became head of the section for French-speaking countries at the Secretariat of State.[2]

On 17 August 2013, Pope Francis named Speich Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana and titular archbishop of Sulci.[2] He received his episcopal consecration from Pope Francis on 24 October.[5]

On 19 March 2019, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Apostolic Delegate to Kosovo.[6]

Speich's academic degrees include a doctorate degree in canon law, and a licentiate in sacred theology, both from the Pontifical Gregorian University.[2]

The Speich family coat of arms dates to the first half of the 13th century.[7][8][9][a] Speich assumed the motto of Speich family of Strasbourg, which has been in use since 1415. This motto, "Wi I Kan", which is in Alemannic German and means "As I can".^[citation needed]

Honours

Ecclesiastical

• Chaplain of His Holiness, 15 October 1988.
• Honorary Prelate of His Holiness, 10 November 1998.

Others

• National Order of Honour and Merit of Haiti, Commander, 2 August 1989.
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Commander, 24 February 1999.
• Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Conventual Chaplain ad honorem, 24 June 2006.
• Legion of Honor of the Republic of France, Knight, 1 January 2010.[10]
• Dynastic Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of the House of Savoy, Grand Officer, 14 September 2013.

Notes

1. The blazon of the arms is as follows:
   • German: In Silber über grünem Dreiberg steigender gebildeter goldener Mond, uberhöht von goldenem Kreuz,
   • French: D'argent à la croix d'or alésée à pal brochant la fasce en chef sur la lune croissante d'or figurée en abîme, le tout sur trois pointes de montagne sinople

See also

• List of heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See

References

1. Cf. Pays d'Alsace, Willgottheim Woellenheim, Deux villages du Kochersberg, Société d'Histoire et d'Archéologie de Saverne et environs, No. 120 -123 (1982-1983), ISSN 0245-8411.
2. "Rinunce e Nomine, 17.08.2013" (Press release) (in Italian). 17 August 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
3. "Curriculum Vitae". Order of Malta Embassy to Slovenia. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
4. "Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica, Ex-alunni 1950 – 1999" (in Italian). Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
5. "Slovénie: Mgr Jean-Marie Speich nommé nonce apostolique". Zenit (in French). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
6. "Resignations and Appointments, 19.03.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
7. Wild, Samuel (1902). Wappen der am Schlusse des 19. Jahrhundert lebenden Bürger-Geschlechter des Kantons Glarus. Sorgfältigst zusammengetragen und dargestellt nach Wappenbüchern älterer und neuerer Zeit, sowie nach Sigillen und Pettschaften (in German). Glarus. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 – via gl.ch.
8. Gottfried Heer, Zur Geschichte glarnerischer Geschlechter, derjenigen des Serftales insbesondere. Allerlei Bilder aus vergangenen Tagen, Ed. Rud. Tschudy, Glarus, 1920
9. JMS (Summer 2012). "[s.n.]". Kocherschbari (in French) (65). Truchtersheim, FR: Association des amis du Kochersberg: 26–32. ISSN 0243-2498.
10. "Mgr Speich reçoit la Légion d'Honneur". Église catholique en France. Édité par la Conférence des évêques de France (in French). 6 January 2010. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Léon Kalenga Badikebele	Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana – August 17, 2013	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by George Antonysamy	Titular Archbishop of Sulci – August 17, 2013	incumbent