OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 17, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Miguel Angelo Freitas Ribeiro, of the clergy of the diocese of Oliveira, pastor of "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" parish, as bishop of Tocantinopolis (area 42,500, population 538,000, Catholics 400,000, priests 33, permanent deacons 1, religious 41), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Itaguara, Brazil, in 1958, and ordained a priest in 1986.

- Fr. Anil Couto, rector of the "Vinay Gurkul" minor seminary, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Delhi (area 15,420, population 18,250,000, Catholics 81,000, priests 185, religious 830), India. The bishop-elect was born in Pemburpa, India, in 1954, and ordained a priest in 1981.

- Bishop Diarmuid Martin, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as Holy See permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, Switzerland, and to the World Trade Organization, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.

- Msgr. Fernando Filoni, counsellor to the apostolic nunciature in the Philippines, as apostolic nuncio in Jordan and Iraq, at the same time elevating him the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Manduria, Italy, in 1946, and ordained a priest in 1970.

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