OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 10, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Oscar Jose Velez Isaza, C.M.F., provincial superior of the Claretians of Western Colombia, as bishop of Valledupar (area 28,780, population 640,000, Catholics 530,000, priests 51, religious 101), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Pensilvania, Colombia in 1951 and was ordained a priest in 1975. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Jose Agustin Valbuena Jauregui upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, apostolic nuncio in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti, as permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

NER; RE; NA;...;...;ISAZA; VALBUENA; TOMASI ;VIS;20030610;Word: 110;