Peter Bryan Wells

Peter Bryan Wells (born May 12, 1963) is an American Catholic prelate who has spent most of his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has worked in Rome in the administration of the Secretariat of State and in foreign postings. He has been an archbishop and a nuncio since 2016.

Biography

Early years Wells was born on May 12, 1963, the first of five children in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He completed his studies in philosophy at St. Meinrad Seminary College in Indiana. He completed his studies in theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. In 1990, he obtained a Bachelor of Theology degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Priesthood Wells was ordained a priest at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa by Bishop Eusebius Joseph Beltran on July 12, 1991, for the Diocese of Tulsa. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Wells as a curate at Holy Family Cathedral Parish, as special secretary to the bishop of Tulsa, and vicar for religious education in the diocese. He soon returned to Rome, receiving a Licentiate of Theology at the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in 1992. In 1998 and 1999, Wells received a Licentiate of Canon Law and a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Gregorian University. At the same time, he was a student at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome.

Diplomatic service Early positions Wells entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1999, working in the Apostolic Nunciature to Nigeria and, beginning in 2002, in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State. He was appointed to head the English-language desk in 2006. Besides his native English, Wells speaks Italian, French, German and Spanish.

Wells was named assessor on July 16, 2009.

Francis named Wells secretary of the five-member Pontifical commission that was responsible for investigating the Institute for the Works of Religion in 2013. Wells also served as president of the Holy See's Financial Security Committee. On February 13, he was also named apostolic nuncio to Lesotho and Namibia.

Wells was consecrated an archbishop at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on March 19, 2016 by Francis. On February 8, 2023, Francis appointed him as nuncio to Thailand and Cambodia and apostolic delegate to Laos.