OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 3, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Msgr. Arthur J. Serratelli as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Newark (area 1,328, population 2,651,785, Catholics 1,319,558, priests 928, religious 1,896, permanent deacons 230), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in 1944 in Newark and was ordained a proiest in 1968. Since 1997 he has rector of the College Seminary at Seton Hall University.

- Erected the diocese of Laredo (area 27,482, population 262,252, Catholics 196,281, priests 21, religious 115, permanent deacons 25), U.S.A., with territory taken from the archdiocese of San Antonio and from the diocese of Corpus Christi, making it suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of San Antonio. He appointed James A. Tamayo, auxiliary of Galveston-Houston, as the first bishop of Laredo.

On Saturday, July 1, it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral care of the diocese of Sandhurst, Australia, presented by Bishop Noel Desmond Daly, in conformity with Canon 401, para 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Bishop Jose Eduardo Velasquez Tarazona, auxiliary of Huaraz, as coadjutor bishop of Tacna and Moquegua (area 30,941, population 391,400, Catholics 362,000, priests 33, religious 91, permanent deacons 4), Peru.

- Appointed Sr. Maria Teresa Losada Campo, F.M.M., as consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims, at the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

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