His Grace Archbishop Francisco Padilla was born on September 17, 1953 in Cebu City, Philippines. His parents both hail from Cebu (his mother from Borbon and his father from Argao). Archbishop Francisco Padilla is the 10th of thirteen siblings.
After finishing his elementary education at the Colegio de Sto. Nino de Cebu, Archbishop Padilla entered the Pope John XIII Minor Seminary in Cebu City, and subsequently took his Philosophical studies from the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos, also in Cebu.
Thereafter, he proceeded on to his Theological studies and earned his Bachelor and Licentiate Degrees in Sacred Theology (STB and STL) from the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila.
He was ordained to the priesthood on October 21, 1976.
In 1985, shortly before joining the Church's diplomatic service, he earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) and his Licentiate in Canon Law (JCL), summa cum laude, from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Archbishop Padilla entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on May 1, 1985, serving in the Apostolic Nunciature in the Dominican Republic.
Thereafter, he worked in the Pontifical Representations in Venezuela, Austria, India, Japan and Australia.
On April 1, 2006, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, raising him at the same time to the episcopacy as Titular Archbishop of Nebbio.
On May 23, 2006, His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal conferred Episcopal Ordination on the Reverend Monsignor Francisco Padilla in Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, with H.E. Most Reverend Ambrose De Paoli, Apostolic Nuncio of Australia and H.E. Most Reverend Fernando Filoni, Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines as Co-consecrators.
On November 10, 2011, Archbishop Padilla was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania.
On April 5, 2016, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to the State of Kuwait and Apostolic Delegate to the Arabian Peninsula.
On April 26, 2016, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Bahrain and United Arab Emirates.
On July 30, 2016, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Yemen.
On May 6, 2017, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Qatar.
Archbishop Padilla is conversant in several languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French and German.
On April 17, 2020, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Padilla as his new envoy to Guatemala.
