OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro, pontifical representative in the Antilles, as apostolic nuncio in Yugoslavia.

On Tuesday April 25, it was made public that he:

- Accepted the resignation presented by Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Rivera Alvarez of the diocese of Potosi, Bolivia, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Hubert Barbier of Annecy, France, as metropolitan archbishop of Bourges (area 14,210, population 576,000, Catholics 508,000, priests 223, permanent deacons 11, religious 509), France. The archbishop-elect was born in Chaize-le-Vicomte, France, in 1932, ordained a priest in 1955 and consecrated a bishop in 1980. He succeeds Archbishop Pierre Plateau, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

On Thursday April 20, it was made public that he appointed:

- Fr. Benyamin Bria, professor of canon law at the major seminary of Kupang, Indonesia, as bishop of Denpasar (area 25,730, population 6,194,000, Catholics 24,897, priests 37, religious 63), Indonesia. The bishop-elect was born in Decabiti, Indonesia, in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1985.

- Bishop Lucas Sirkar S.D.B. of Krishnagar, India, as coadjutor archbishop of Calcutta (area 29,857, population 24,813,952, Catholics 133,740, priests 220, religious 1,220), India, The archbishop-elect was born in Barisol, India, in 1936, ordained a priest in 1968 and consecrated a bishop in 1984.

- Fr. Jean-Luc Brunin of the clergy of Lille (area 2,288, population 1,527,950, Catholics 804,230, priests 704, permanent deacons 41, religious 1,403), France, rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Lille, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Roubaix, France, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1981.

- Fr. Diomedes Espinal de Leon of the clergy of Santiago de los Caballeros (area 6,391, population 876,753, Catholics 789,000, priests 91, permanent deacons 74, religious 135), Dominican Republic, rector of the St. Pius X minor seminary, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Villa Trina, Dominican Republic, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1978.

- Fr. Jozef Szamocki of the clergy of Torun (area 5,427, population 713,350, Catholics 685,500, priests 399, religious 416), Poland, spiritual director of the major seminary of Torun, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Gdynia, Poland, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Fr. Jan Watroba of the clergy of Czestochowa (area 6,925, population 921,190, Catholics 900,710, priests 746, religious 1,221), Poland, rector of the major seminary of Czestochowa, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Biala, Poland, in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979.

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