The longtime Vatican diplomat, who served as apostolic nuncio to Italy and San Marino, was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.

VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig, a former apostolic nuncio, died Tuesday at the age of 79. He was born Feb. 3, 1947, in Unterems, Switzerland.

Tscherrig was ordained a priest on April 11, 1974. He later earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1978, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

He served in Uganda, South Korea, Mongolia, and Bangladesh.

On May 4, 1996, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular archbishop of Voli and apostolic nuncio to Burundi. He was consecrated the following June 27 by then-Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

On July 8, 2000, he was named nuncio to Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Bahamas, and later also to Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

On June 22, 2004, he became apostolic nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia.

On Jan. 26, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him apostolic nuncio to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway.

On Jan. 5, 2012, he was transferred to lead the apostolic nunciature in Argentina.

On Sept. 12, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic nuncio to Italy and San Marino. He was the first non-Italian to hold the post.

Pope Francis created him a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church at the consistory of Sept. 30, 2023, assigning him the deaconry of San Giuseppe in Via Trionfale.

On March 11, 2024, Tscherrig stepped down as apostolic nuncio to Italy and San Marino after reaching the age limit. He was succeeded by Archbishop Petar Rajič.

In May 2025, he took part in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

At the time of his death, Tscherrig was a member of the cardinalatial commission of the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his “deep condolences” upon learning of Tscherrig’s death, Vatican News reported. In a telegram, the pope conveyed his thoughts to the cardinal’s family and to the diocesan community of Sion, where Tscherrig was incardinated, and recalled with gratitude his “faithful service as a papal representative in various countries and later as a member of several dicasteries of the Holy See.”

The pope said the late cardinal “acted generously” and “bore witness to love for the Church and for the successor of Peter.” He entrusted the soul “of this minister of the Gospel” to God, praying that he may “welcome him into the light that knows no sunset,” and invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary while sending his apostolic blessing to all those affected “by this sudden loss.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.