Luigi Bellotti

Luigi Bellotti (17 March 1914 – 23 September 1995) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

Luigi Bellotti was born on 17 March 1914. He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1937.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See and on 18 July 1964 Pope Paul VI named him titular archbishop of Voncariana and Apostolic Delegate to Central Western Africa. In this post he convinced Francis Arinze, later a cardinal, that he had been chosen to be an auxiliary bishop.[1] On 27 November 1969 he was named Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Uganda. During his time there, in October 1973, Ugandan President Idi Amin accused him of being a spy for the United States Central Intelligence Agency, that he was traveling throughout the country without authorization and spreading rumors to discredit the government.[2]

He became Nuncio to Uruguay on 2 September 1975.

On 27 October 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed Bellotti Pro-Nuncio to Iceland and to Finland, as well as Apostolic Delegate to Scandinavia. On 2 October 1982, he became Pro-Nuncio to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

He resigned his diplomatic posts in October 1985 and died on 23 September 1995.