OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 15, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Metropolitan Archbishop Lluis Martinez Sistach of Tarragona, Spain, as metropolitan archbishop of Barcelona (area 3,041, population 4,301,346, Catholics 3,956,616, priests 1,512, permanent deacons 55, religious 4,730), Spain. He succeeds Cardinal Ricardo Maria Carles Gordo whose resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Barcelona was accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the office of auxiliary of Barcelona, Spain, presented by Bishop Pere Tena Garriga upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the dioceses of Terrassa and Sant Felieu de Llobregat with territory taken from the archdiocese of Barcelona.

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona, Spain, elevating the same archdiocese to Metropolitan Church and assigning the new dioceses of Terrasa and Sant Feliu de Llobregat as its suffragan churches.

- Appointed Fr. Jaume Pujol Balcells, professor of theology and director of the Superior Institute of Religious Sciences in the Faculty of Theology at University of Navarre as metropolitan archbishop of Tarragona (area 2,700, population 456.526, Catholics 437,000, priests 184, permanent deacons 5, religious 623), Spain.  The archbishop-elect was born in Guissona, Spain in 1944 and was ordained a priest in 1973.

- Appointed Bishop Josep Angel Saiz Meneses, auxiliary of Barcelona, Spain, as bishop of Terrassa, Spain.

- Appointed Bishop Agustin Cortes Soriano of Ibiza, Spain, as bishop of Sant Feliu di Llobregat, Spain.

- Appointed Fr. Mariano Manzana, a fidei bonum priest in Brazil, as bishop of Mossoro (area 18,832, population 825,000, Catholics 793,000, priests 37, religious 63), Brazil.  The bishop-elect was born in Mori, Italy in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1973.  The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Jose Freire de Oliveira Neto upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jose Clemente Weber, auxiliary of Porto Alegre, Brazil, as bishop of Santo Angelo (area 19,293, population 510,000, Catholics 392,000, priests 92, permanent deacons 3, religious 398), Brazil. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Estanislau Amadeu Kreutz upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jacinto Bergmann, auxiliary of Pelotas, Brazil, as bishop of Tubarao (area 4,531, population 391,455, Catholics 290,704, priests 49, permanent deacons 1, religious 121), Brazil.  The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, presented by Bishop Hilario Moser, S.D.B., in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Accepted the resignation from the Office of Auxiliary of the diocese of Piura, Peru, presented by Bishop Augusto Beauzeville Ferro in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
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