OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Thomas Vazhapilly, rector of St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore, India, as bishop of Mysore (area 21,051, population 7,964,529, Catholics 93,379, priests 133, religious 811), India. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Joseph Roy having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Josef Clemens, study assistant of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as undersecretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

It was made public on February 11 that the Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the office of Auxiliary of the archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia presented by Bishop John Joseph Gerry upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Hector Gonzalez Martinez of Oaxaca, Mexico as metropolitan archbishop of Durango (area 109,422, population 2,197,771, Catholics 2,157,812, priests 279, religious 433), Mexico.

- Appointed Fr. Roger Paul Morin, of the clergy of the archdiocese of New Orleans, U.S.A., vicar general and pastor of Incarnate Word Parish, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 10,895, population 1,331,561, Catholics 489,652, priests 406, religious 1,157, permanent deacons 199). The bishop-elect was born in Massahusetts in 1941 and was ordained a priest in 1971 for the archdiocese of New Orleans.

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