OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Gave his assent to the election canonically carried out by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church, meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 12, 2001, of:
- Fr. Faraj Rahho, of the eparchal clergy of Mossul, Iraq, as archbishop of Mossul of the Chaldeans (Catholics 20,000, priests 16, permanent deacons 2, religious 6). The archbishop-elect was born in Mossul in 1942, and ordained a priest in 1965.
- Fr. Yacoub Denha Scher, of the eparchal clergy of Kerkuk, as archbishop of Arbil of the Chaldeans (Catholics 12,000, priests 5, permanent deacons 1, religious 8), Iraq. The archbishop-elect was born in Shaqlawa in 1935, and ordained a priest in 1962.
- Fr. Michel Kassarji, of the eparchal clergy of Beirut, Lebanon, as bishop of Beirut of the Chaldeans (Catholics 10,000, priests 1). The bishop-elect was born in Zahle in 1956, and ordained a priest in 1985.
- Fr. Shlemon Warduni, of the clergy of the patriarchal eparchy of Baghdad, as auxiliary to the Chaldean Patriarch. The bishop-elect was born in Batnaya in 1943, and ordained a priest in 1968.

- Appointed Msgr. Edward William Clark, of the clergy of Los Angeles (area 22,685, population 10,652,600, Catholics 4,080,793, priests 1,306, permanent deacons 161, religious 2,775), U.S.A., president of Saint John's Seminary College in Camarillo, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Minneapolis, U.S.A., in 1946, and ordained a priest in 1972.
- Appointed Msgr. Dennis O'Neil, of the clergy of Los Angeles, pastor of Saint Emydius Parish in Lynwood, as auxiliary of the diocese of San Bernardino (area 70,662, population 3,042,385, Catholics 821,443, priests 214, permanent deacons 79, religious 270), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Freemont, U.S.A., in 1940, and ordained a priest in 1966.

- Appointed Fr. Solomon Amanchukwu Amatu, chancellor of Awka (area 1,558, population 1,112,923, Catholics 584,340, priests 225, religious 136), Nigeria, as auxiliary of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Ukpo, Nigeria, in 1950, and ordained a priest in 1978.

- Appointed as members of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts: His Beatitude Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Archbishops Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabarese, Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Mario Franceso Pompedda, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature.

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