Canada's new ambassador to the Holy See, Joyce Napier, came to the Vatican to present her credentials to Pope Francis on June 21, 2024. This is her first diplomatic post after a long career in journalism.
Born in Montreal in 1958, Joyce Napier has devoted herself to the world of news, first as a reporter for the Globe and Mail - Canada's largest daily - and for the Quebec newspaper La Presse. She also worked as a television reporter for the national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada, where she was correspondent for the Middle East (1998 - 2003) and Washington (2003 - 2014).
Napier was also Ottawa bureau chief for CTV National News, Canada's largest English-language television network. In Rome, she now succeeds Paul Gibbard, who was Chargé d'Affaires for two years before being appointed Ambassador for one year.
In announcing her appointment last May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, emphasized that Napier's mission would include working towards reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples. This was the main theme of Pope Francis' "penitential journey" to Canada in July of 2022.
In 2022, Pope Francis received various Canadian Aboriginal delegations to discuss the painful chapters of their history.
