OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of diocese of Valleyfield, Canada, presented by Bishop Robert Lebel upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Felipe Aguirre Franco of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, as coadjutor archbishop of Acapulco (area 18,603, population 2,860,000, Catholics 2,730,000, priests 100, permanent deacons 16, religious 253), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Encarnacion de Diaz, Mexico, in 1934, ordained a priest in 1958 and consecrated a bishop in 1974.

- Appointed Fr. Manuel Neto Quintas S.C.I., provincial of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians) in Portugal, as auxiliary of Faro (area 5,071, population 366,329, Catholics 325,000, priests 64, religious 122), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Mazouco, Portugal, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Appointed Fr. Juan del Rio Martin, episcopal delegate for pastoral care in universities in Seville, Spain, as bishop of Jerez de la Frontera (area 3,928, population 480,970, Catholics 432,800, priests 175, permanent deacons 6, religious 704), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Ayamonte, Spain, in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1974. He succeeds Bishop Rafael Bellido Caro, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the apostolic administration of Prizren, Yugoslavia, returning to it its own ecclesiastical jurisdiction, such as existed prior to its union with the diocese of Skopje in 1969. He appointed Bishop Marko Sopi as apostolic administrator of the new administration.

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