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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HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for January is: "That believers in Christ, of every nation and culture, may increasingly live in communion and reciprocal respect for one another."

His missionary intention is: "That the international Year for the Culture of Peace, drawing inspiration from the Christian mystery of Christmas, may be a source of authentic and lasting peace for all men and women."

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COMMUNIQUE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE BISHOP OF SALTILLO

VATICAN CITY, DEC 30, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a communique regarding the appointment of Bishop Raul Vera Lopez O.P., as the new bishop of Saltillo, Mexico. Up until now Bishop Vera Lopez has been coadjutor of San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico,

The communique indicates that "Bishop Vera Lopez's transfer is motivated by purely ecclesiastical reasons, both as regards San Cristobal de las Casas and Saltillo."

"The fact that Bishop Vera Lopez is leaving San Cristobal de las Casas will in no way diminish the Church's commitment to supporting civil peace and the spiritual and human promotion of the entire population of Chiapas. Also on this occasion, the Holy See cannot fail to express once more the hope that all the sides involved in the tensions that exist in the region may find, in dialogue and law, the harmony to which they justly aspire."

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THE CHILDREN'S JUBILEE TO TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 2

VATICAN CITY, DEC 30, 1999 (VIS) - On Sunday January 2, 2000, the Children's Jubilee will be held in Rome. After the celebration of Mass at 9 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, the 45,000 participants - boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14 years from 30 countries - will participate in a gathering in St. Peter's Square.

John Paul II will cross the square by popemobile, and stop in front of the basilica. Bishop Agostino Superbo, coordinator of the event, together with a number of children will greet the Holy Father who, in his turn, will respond with a brief message. The Pope will then award the "International John XXIII Peace Prize" for the year 2000 to the non-governmental organization, "ATD-Quart Monde" for its constant evangelical commitment in the struggle against extreme poverty, its active interest in the field of human rights and the work it does in support of children.

At 6 p.m. in the Paul VI Hall, a show will take place where groups from different continents will sing and dance in the presence of 7,000 children.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Raul Vera Lopez O.P., coadjutor of San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, as bishop of Saltillo (area 129,100, population 1,585,170, Catholics 1,400,490, priests 151, permanent deacons 2, religious 479), Mexico. He succeeds Bishop Francisco Raul Villalobos Padilla, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the diocese of Wiawso (area 11,240, population 641,500, Catholics 136,036, priests 41, religious 11), Ghana, with territory taken from the diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Cape Coast. He appointed Fr. Joseph Francis Kweku Essien of the clergy of Sekondi-Takoradi, military chaplain to the Ghanaian armed forces, as first bishop of Wiawso. The bishop-elect was born in Apowa, Ghana, in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1977.

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