A Czech priest has been appointed as the new Counselor to the Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia and Timor-Leste.
Monsignor Marcel Šmejkal officially began his assignment on May 1 upon his arrival in Dili in East Timor.
He succeeds Italian Monsignor Marco Sprizzi who has been appointed as President of the Labor Office of the Apostolic See in Vatican City.
In addition to Msgr. Šmejkal’s new assignment in the Apostolic Nunciature, he also serves as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Timor-Leste.
Šmejkal was born on December 28, 1968, in Domažlice, Czech Republic. He holds advanced degrees in philosophy, theology, and canon law, having studied at prestigious institutions such as the Pontifical Lateran University and the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He also completed diplomatic training at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy between 1999 and 2003.
Šmejkal was ordained to the priesthood in 1997 and is fluent in Italian, English, French, and Spanish, which will prove useful in navigating the diverse environment of Southeast Asia.
His ecclesiastical and diplomatic career spans more than two decades, with prior assignments in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, and Greece.
His most recent posting was First Counsellor at the Apostolic Nunciature in France.
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