Pope Leo XIV has expressed his deep condolences on the passing of Swiss Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig, who died Tuesday at the age of 79. The Pope conveyed his sentiments in a telegram directed to the cardinal’s family and the diocesan community of Sion, where Tscherrig was incardinated.
In his message, Pope Leo XIV expressed gratitude for Tscherrig's "faithful service as a papal representative in various countries and later as a member of several dicasteries of the Holy See." The Pope remembered the cardinal as one who acted generously and bore witness to his love for the Church and for the Successor of Peter.
Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV entrusted the soul of this "minister of the Gospel" to God, asking that He may "welcome him into the light that knows no sunset." The Pope concluded his message by invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary and sending an apostolic blessing to all those affected by this sudden loss.
Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig was born in Unterems, Switzerland, on February 3, 1947. He was ordained a priest in 1974 and later earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University. His diplomatic career at the Holy See commenced in 1978 when he was appointed Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature, serving in various countries including Uganda, South Korea, Mongolia, and Bangladesh.
In 1996, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Voli and Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi, with his episcopal consecration taking place on June 27 of that year. He subsequently served in multiple nunciatures across the Caribbean and Latin America before assuming the position of Nuncio to Italy and San Marino, where he served until 2024, making history as the first non-Italian to hold this distinguished role. Pope Francis created him Cardinal in the Consistory of September 30, 2023.
