Charles Daniel Balvo (born June 29, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving in diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1987. His current posting is as apostolic nuncio to Australia. He has been an apostolic nuncio and archbishop since 2005.
Balvo was appointed as apostolic nuncio to Kenya on January, 17, 2013, as well as permanent observer to United Nations Organizations for the Environment and Human Settlements (UNEP and UN-Habitat).[6] After Kenyan Cardinal John Njue denounced US President Barack Obama's call for Kenya to protect LGBT rights,[7] Balvo told an audience of Kenyan Catholics that: "The homosexuals should be defended against violation of their dignity and human rights, they are human beings like anyone of us".[8]
On December 21, 2013, Balvo was appointed the first apostolic nuncio to South Sudan as well.[9] Speaking on the South Sudanese civil war, Balvo said civil society needs to be involved not just in negotiations on the government level but “should be actively involved always.” Speaking to CISA news agency February 17, he said civil society and the church have already asked the warring factions to lay down their arms and work out their differences, adding that in the end it is the people who are suffering. "In a country that has a lot of resources, it will not be easy to develop them unless there is peace," he said. He said the church was doing much to help people through promotion of their welfare and would continue to ensure that peace prevails in the nation. "It is very hard to promote and create a society with generations of people that all they have known is violence," he said.[10]
^The Cook Islands were included in the list of nations to which Balvo was named Apostolic Nuncio on April 1, 2005, and then announced separately on March 25, 2006, suggesting that the original announcement was premature.