OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Cucuta as metropolitan archbishop of Barranquilla (area 3,338, population 1,706,305, Catholics 1,202,535, priests 131, religious 536), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1967 and a bishop in 1992. He succeeds Archbishop Felix Maria Torres Parra, whose resignation from the pastoral care of this diocese was accepted by the Holy Father on having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Victoria, Canada, presented by Bishop Remi Joseph De Roo on having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Raymond Roussin, S.M.

- Appointed Bishop Gustavo Martinez Frias of Ipiales as metropolitan archbishop of Nueva Pamplona (area 6,571, population 310,000, Catholics 297,000, priests 59, religious 119), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in San Vicente de Chucuri, Colombia, in 1935, was ordained a priest 1960, and was consecrated a bishop 1987.

- Appointed Bishop Rafael Conde Alfonzo, coadjutor of La Guaira, as bishop of Margarita (area 1,050, population 360,000, Catholics 350,000, priests 25, religious 53), Venezuela.

- Appointed Fr. Bernard Genoud as bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg (area 5,557, population 1,346,000, Catholics 671,072, priests 656, religious 1,641), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Chatel-St-Denis, Switzerland, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1968, and since 1994 has been rector of the major diocesan seminary.

- Appointed Fr. Leopoldo Gonzalez Gonzalez as auxiliary bishop of Morelia (area 22,000, population 2,811,000, Catholics 2,637,000, priests 555, religious 1,258), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Abasolo, Mexico, in 1950, was ordained a priest in 1975, and since 1995 has been vicar general of the archdiocese of Morelia.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Luis Azuaje Ayala as auxiliary bishop of Barquisimeto (area 8,590, population 1,194,000, Catholics 1,132,000, priests 171, religious 354), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Valera, Venezuela, in 1957, was ordained a priest in 1984, and since 1993 has been episcopal vicar of diocesan pastoral ministry.

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