Vatican appoints U.S. Archbishop Michael Wallace Banach as nuncio to Argentina

Pope Francis (Leon XIV) named Archbishop Michael Wallace Banach of the United States as the new apostolic nuncio to Argentina, replacing Polish Archbishop Miroslaw Adamczyk. The appointment was announced by the Vatican nunciature in Buenos Aires.

Banach brings extensive diplomatic experience to the role. He most recently served as the Holy See’s nuncio to Hungary, where he helped coordinate Pope Francis’s 2023 visit to Budapest and managed relations with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government. Since entering Vatican diplomatic service in 1994, he has held posts in Bolivia, Nigeria, various African and Oceanian nations, and represented the Holy See at multilateral bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the OSCE, and United Nations agencies.

His arrival coincides with speculation about a possible papal visit to Argentina in the coming years, with some sources linking the appointment to preparations for a visit as early as 2026.