OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 3, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Joseph Latino, Vicar General of the diocese of Jackson and parish priest of the Cathedral of "Saint Francis de Sales" in Houma, as Bishop of the same diocese (area 97,458, population 1,994,011, Catholics 47,873, priests 88, religious 282, permanent deacons 8) in the U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in 1937 in New Orleans, U.S.A., and in 1963 was ordained a priest. He succeeds Bishop William Russel Houck, whose resignation from pastoral care of this diocese was accepted for reasons of age.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 3, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Mr. Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, with his wife and following.

- Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio in Rwanda.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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