He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1961 and filled assignments in Colombia, Australia (an office with responsibility for New Zealand and Oceania), France, Scandinavia, and Honduras. Beginning in 1976, he worked in the Roman Curia in the Office of Public Affairs.[2]
On 23 September 1977, Pope Paul VI named Apostolic Nuncio to Panama and a titular archbishop.[1] He was consecrated a bishop on 5 November 1977 by Cardinal Jean-Marie Villot. He was the first Indian and the first Goan priest to have the title of "Nuncio".[2]
On 26 July 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic.[4] He became Apostolic Delegate to Puerto Rico that year as well.[2]
On 28 February 1991, Pope John Paul named him Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Madagascar and Mauritius.[5] He added the title apostolic nuncio to Seychelles on 4 May 1994.
On 13 April 1996, Pope John Paul appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria,[1] where the Church and the government remained at odds over the restitution of Church property since the collapse of Communism in 1989.[6]
On 24 May 2000, he appointed Collaço Apostolic Nuncio to South Africa and to Namibia, and Apostolic Delegate to Botswana.[7] On 24 June 2000, he added the responsibilities of Apostolic Nuncio to Lesotho and to Swaziland.[1]
Collaço retired from these positions in August 2006.
He appears as a character in the novel The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell.[8]
