Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich resigns as nuncio just 10 months into Netherlands post

by Catholic Trends

February 24, 2026

in International

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Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich

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Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich has stepped down as Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands only ten months after taking up the post, with Pope Leo XIV accepting his resignation.

Although the Regulations for Pontifical Representations permit nuncios to retire at the age of 70, it is highly unusual for one to do so after such a short tenure. The Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad reported that the reasons for Archbishop Speich’s resignation are “shrouded in mystery.”

Archbishop Jean-Marie Antoine Joseph Speich was born on 15 June 1955 in Strasbourg, in the Diocese of Strasbourg, France. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Strasbourg on 9 October 1982.

Pope Francis named him an Archbishop in 2013 and was the principal consecrator at his episcopal ordination Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.

On 17 August 2013, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana and Titular Archbishop of Sulci. He was ordained a bishop on 24 October 2013 at the Cathedral of San Pietro in Rome.

On 19 March 2019, Archbishop Speich was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Apostolic Delegate to Kosovo. He later served as Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands from 12 April 2025 until his retirement on 21 February 2026.

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Daily Reading

Monday of the Fourth week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles 11,1-18.

The Apostles and the brothers who were in... Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers confronted him,
saying, "You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them."
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
"I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when in a trance I had a vision, something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it, I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.'
But I said, 'Certainly not, sir, because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
But a second time a voice from heaven answered, 'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.'
This happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were, who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.
He related to us how he had seen (the) angel standing in his house, saying, 'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.'
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?"
When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, "God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."

Psalms 42(41),2-3.43(42),3.4.

As the hind longs for the running waters,
so... my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.

Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10,11-18.

Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd. A... good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
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Go to Daily Readings

Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich resigns as nuncio just 10 months into Netherlands post

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