OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 7, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Orense, Spain, as metropolitan archbishop of Oviedo (area 10,565, population 1,081,834, Catholics 1,032,069, priests 680, religious 1,329), Spain. The archbishop-elect was born in Castaneda, Spain, in 1945, ordained a priest in 1973 and consecrated bishop in 1996. He succeeds Archbishop Gabino Diaz Merchan whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani of the clergy of Brescia, Italy, director of the Italian Episcopal Conference's national office for education, schools and universities, as under-secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

On Saturday, January 5, it was made public that he:

- Appointed Bishop Angelo Scola, rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, as patriarch of Venice (area 871, population 373,560, Catholics 368,157, priests 394, permanent deacons 29, religious 1,118), Italy. The patriarch-elect was born in Malgrate, Italy, in 1941, ordained a priest in 1970 and consecrated a bishop in 1991. He succeeds Cardinal Marco Ce, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same patriarchate the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. David John James Monroe, vicar general of Vancouver, Canada, as bishop of Kamloops (area 155,340, population 400,000, Catholics 36,500, priests 24, permanent deacons 2, religious 34), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Vancouver in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1967.

- Appointed Fr. Salesius Mugambi of the clergy of Meru, Kenya, rector of the St. Thomas Aquinas national theological seminary in Nairobi, as coadjutor of the diocese of Meru (area 9,582, population 2,623,725, Catholics 689,777, priests 117, religious 338). The bishop-elect was born in Egandene, Kenya, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Raised the apostolic vicariate of Araucania, Chile, to the rank of diocese with the new name of Villarrica (area 18,630, population 390,000, Catholics 277,000, priests 71, religious 196) and with territory partly taken from the same vicariate, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Concepcion. At the same time, the remaining territory of the vicariate - Easter Island - passes under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Valparaiso. He appointed Bishop Sixto Jose Parzinger Foidl O.F.M. Cap., apostolic vicar of Araucania, as the first bishop of the new diocese.

- Appointed Bishop Rimantas Norvila, auxiliary of Kaunas, Lithuania, as bishop of Vilkaviskis (population 443,000, Catholics 400,200, priests 118, religious 91), Lithuania. He succeeds Bishop Juozas Zemaitis M.I.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jonas Kauneckas, auxiliary of Telsiai, Lithuania, as bishop of Panevezys (area 13,000, population 443,000, Catholics 377,000, priests 93, religious 71), Lithuania. He succeeds Bishop Juozas Preiksas, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jonas Boruta S.J., auxiliary of Vilnius, Lithuania, as bishop of Telsiai (area 13,373, population 730,000, Catholics 600,000, priests 142, religious 100), Lithuania.

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