OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Edmonton, Canada presented by Archbishop Joseph Neil MacNeil upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Thomas C. Collins.

On Sunday, June 6, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Fr. James Liu Tan-Kuei of the clergy of the diocese of Taichung, Taiwan, as auxiliary of the diocese of Taipeh (Taipei) (area 4,590, population 6,799,000, Catholics 80,947, priests 256, religious 663), Taiwan. The bishop-elect was born in Tungshih, Taiwan in 1953, was ordained a priest in 1981 and since 1996 has been priest of the parish of the 'Blessed Sacrament' in Yuan-lin.

On Saturday, June 5, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga as archbishop of Braga (area 2,832, population 1,000,000, Catholics 995,000, priests 600, religious 1071), Portugal. The archbishop-elect was born in Brufe, Portugal, in 1944, he was ordained a priest in 1967 and since 1988 has been auxiliary of the same archdiocese. He succeeds Archbishop Eurico Dias Norgueira, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Archbishop Ramon Ovidio Perez Morales of Maracaibo, Venezuela as bishop of Los Teques (area 2,295, population 970,000, Catholics 900,000, priests 75, religious 360), Venezuela. He conserves the personal title of archbishop.

- Bishop Oscar Anibal Salazar Gomez, auxiliary of Barranquilla, Colombia, as bishop of La Dorada-Guaduas (area 8,040, population 330,000, Catholics 300,000, priests 58, religious 84), Colombia.

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