POPE TO CONFER EPISCOPAL ORDINATION ON TWELVE PRESBYTERS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 30, 1999 (VIS) - According to a communique made public today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, on Thursday January 6, 2000, Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, at 9 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, John Paul II will confer episcopal ordination on the following twelve priests:

1. Msgr. Joseph Wesolowski, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, born July 15, 1948, ordained a priest May 21, 1972, elected titular archbishop of Slebte and appointed apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, November 3, 1999.

2. Msgr. Giacomo Guido Ottonello, of the clergy of the diocese of Acqui, Italy, born August 29, 1946, ordained a priest June 29, 1971, elected titular archbishop of Sasabe and appointed apostolic nuncio in Panama, November 29, 1999.

3. Msgr. George Panikulam, of the clergy of the diocese of Irinjalakuda of the Syro-Malabars, India, born October 26, 1942, ordained a priest March 11, 1967, elected titular archbishop of Arpaia and appointed apostolic nuncio in Honduras, December 4, 1999.

4. Msgr. Alberto Bottari De Castello, of the clergy of the diocese of Treviso, Italy, born July 5, 1942, ordained a priest September 11, 1966, elected titular archbishop of Foraziana and appointed apostolic nuncio in Gambia, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, December 18, 1999.

5. Msgr. Ivo Baldi, of the clergy of the diocese of Citta di Castello, Italy, born March 27, 1947, ordained a priest October 9, 1971, elected bishop of Huaraz, Peru, December 14, 1999.

6. Msgr. Gabriel Mbilingi C.S.Sp., of the Holy Ghost Fathers, born January 17, 1958, ordained a priest February 26, 1984, elected coadjutor bishop of Lwena, Angola, November 13, 1999.

7. Msgr. David Laurin Ricken, of the clergy of the diocese of Pueblo, U.S.A., born November 9, 1952, ordained a priest September 12, 1980, elected coadjutor bishop of Cheyenne, U.S.A., December 14, 1999.

8. Msgr. Anton Cosa, of the clergy of the diocese of Iasi, Romania, born November 23, 1961, ordained a priest June 25, 1989, apostolic administrator of Moldova, elected titular bishop of Pesto, October 30, 1999.

9. Msgr. Andras Veres, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Eger, Hungary, born November 30, 1959, ordained a priest August 2, 1986, elected titular bishop of Cissa and appointed as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Eger, November 5, 1999.

10. Msgr. Peter Erdo, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, born June 25, 1952, ordained a priest June 18, 1975, elected titular bishop of Puppi and appointed as auxiliary of the bishop of Szekesfehervar, Hungary, November 5, 1999.

11. Msgr. Giuseppe Pasotto C.S.S., of the Congregation of the Blessed Stigmata, born July 6, 1954, ordained a priest May 12, 1979, apostolic administrator of the Caucasus, elected titular bishop of Musti, November 9, 1999.

12. Msgr. Franco Croci, of the clergy of the diocese of Crema, Italy, born June 25, 1930, ordained a priest September 30, 1961, secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, elected titular bishop of Potenza Picena, December 3, 1999.

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