OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 17, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Corepiscopo Louis Awad, pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, as apostolic exarch for the Syro-Catholic faithful resident in Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Zaidal, Syria in 1934 and was ordained a priest in 1957.

- Elevated the apostolic administration of Astana, Kazakhstan to archdiocese with the name "Archdiocese of the Mary Most Holy in Astana" (area 576,400, population 3,985,000, Catholics 90,000, priests 31, permanent deacons 2, religious 59).

- Appointed Bishop Tomasz Peta, apostolic administrator of Astana, Kazakhstan, as first archbishop of Astana, Kazakhstan.

- Elevated the apostolic administration of Almaty, Kazakhstan to diocese with the name "Diocese of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty" (area 711,600, population 6,267,000, Catholics 59,000, priests 15, religious 13).

- Appointed Bishop Henry Theophilus Howaniec, O.F.M., apostolic administrator of Almaty as first bishop of Almaty, Kazakhstan.

- Established the dioceses of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty and Karaganda and the apostolic administration of Atyrau, Kazakhstan as suffragens of the archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana, Kazakhstan.

- Conferred the title of archbishop "ad personam" on Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga, M.I.C., of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

NER; ECE; NA;...;...;...;VIS;20030519;Word: 190;