OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 27, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Pascal Roland, professor at the St. Sulpice Seminary in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France as bishop of Moulins (area 7,381, population 344,721, Catholics 284,000, priests 114, permanent deacons 19, religious 397), France. The bishop-elect was born in Chatou, France in 1951 and was ordained a priest in 1979.

On Saturday January 25 it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Francisco Robles Ortega of Toluca, Mexico as metropolitan archbishop of Monterrey (area 17,886, population 4,720,00, Catholics 4,500,000, priests 455, permanent deacons 6, religious 957), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Mascota, Mexico in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1976. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese presented by Cardinal Adolfo Antonio Suarez Rivera upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Lichinga, Mozambique, presented by Bishop Louis Gonzaga Fereira da Silva, S.J. upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Michel Christian Cartateguy, S.M.A., auxiliary of Niamey, Niger as bishop of the same diocese (area 200,000, population 5,000,000, Catholics 18,500, priests 30, religious 87). He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Niamey, Niger presented by Bishop Guy Romano, C.SS.R., in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. John Hsane Hgyi, rector of the National Theological Major Seminary in Yangon, Myanmar as auxiliary of the diocese of Pathein (area 25,328, population 4,572,766, Catholics 66,946, priests 54, religious 158), Myanmar. The bishop-elect was born in 1953 in Pyingadoe Mayanchaung, Myanmar and was ordained a priest in 1982.

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