OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Jose Soleibe Arbelaez of the diocese of Cartago, Colombia, and Fr. Luis Adriano Piedrahita Sandoval of the archdiocese of Cali, Colombia, as auxiliaries of Cali (area 2,742, population 2,329,000, Catholics 2,011,000, priests 268, permanent deacons 15, religious 1,178). Bishop-elect Soleibe Arbelaez was born in Cartago in 1938, ordained a priest in 1963 and since 1998 has been rector of the major seminary of Cartago. Bishop-elect Piedrahita Sandoval was born in Palmira, Colombia, in 1946, ordained a priest in 1972 and is presently pastor of the parish of "Cristo Resucitado."

- Fr. Gerhard Feige of the clergy of Magdeburg (area 23,000, population 3,000,000, Catholics 192,000, priests 198, permanent deacons 31, religious 225), Germany, as auxiliary of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Halle, Germany, in 1951, ordained a priest in 1978 and since 1994 has been professor at the school of philosophy and theology in Erfurt.

On Saturday, July 17, it was made public that he appointed:
- Bishop Andre Wouking of Bafoussam, Cameroon, as metropolitan archbishop of Yaounde (area 4,964, population 1,512,000, Catholics 671,000, priests 233, religious 664), Cameroon. The archbishop-elect was born in Dschang, Cameroon, in 1930, was ordained a priest in 1961 and a bishop in 1979.

- Fr. Joseph Atanga S.J., apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Yaounde, Cameroon, as bishop of Bafoussam (area 13,000, population 1,534,300, Catholics 260,000, priests 76, religious 130), Cameroon. The bishop-elect was born in Akok-Bekoe, Cameroon, in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1987.

- Fr. Willem Jacobus Eijk of the clergy of the diocese of Roermond, Netherlands, as bishop of Groningen (area 9,205, population 1,700,000, Catholics 125,993, priests 70, permanent deacons 5, religious 188), Netherlands. The bishop-elect was born in Duivendrecht, Netherlands, in 1953, ordained a priest in 1985 and since 1998 has been professor of moral theology at the faculty of theology in Lugano.

- Archbishop Rino Passigato, apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, as apostolic nuncio in Peru.

NEA; NER; NN;...;...;... ;VIS;19990719;Word: 300;