OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Javier Navarro Rodriguez, auxiliary of Guadalajara, as bishop of San Juan de los Lagos (area 12,000, population 962,756, Catholics 960,104, priests 242, religious 537), Mexico. He succeeds Bishop Jose Trinidad Sepulveda Ruiz-Velasco, whose resignation from the pastoral care of this diocese was accepted by the Holy Father on having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Giuliano Frigeni, P.I.M.E., as bishop of Parintins (area 75,654, population 168,000, Catholics 159,000, priests 17, religious 37), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Bergamo, Italy, in 1947, made his vows in 1974, was ordained a priest in 1975, and in 1996 was elected regional councillor of the P.I.M.E. for the north of Brazil.

- Appointed Fr. Fernando Chavez Ruvalcaba, as bishop of Zacatecas (area 59,000, population 1,064,196, Catholics 985,000, priests 181, religious 416), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, in 1932, was ordained in 1961, and since 1997 has been diocesan administrator of this same diocese.

- Appointed Bishop Luis Morales Reyes of Torreon, as archbishop of San Luis Potosi (area 27,333, population 1,899,000, Catholics 1,737,000, priests 260, religious 799), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Churumuco, Mexico, in 1936, was ordained a priest in 1962, was consecrated a bishop in 1976 and since 1990 has been bishop of Torreon. He succeeds Archbishop Arturo Antonio Szymanski Ramirez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese was accepted by the Holy Father, on having reached the age limit.

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