OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 6, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Manuel Sanchez Monge of the clergy of the diocese of Palencia, Spain, and vicar general of the same diocese, as bishop of Mondonedo-Ferrol (area 4,425, population 301,095, Catholics 298,073, priests 200, religious 293), Spain. Bishop-elect Sanchez was born in 1947 in Fuentes de Nava, Spain and was ordained a priest in 1970. He succeeds Bishop Jose Gea Escolano whose resignation the Pope accepted upon having reached the age limit.

  On Saturday, June 4, it was made public that the Pope:

 - Appointed Fr. Judes Bicaba, vicar general of Dedougou, Burkina Faso, as bishop of the same diocese (area 28,374, population 1,089,330, Catholics 76,206, priests 77, religious 85). The bishop-elect was born in Wakara, Burkina Faso, in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1975. He succeeds Bishop Zephyrin Toe, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas, auxiliary of San Vicente, El Salvador, as bishop of the same diocese (area 2,056, population 477,603, Catholics 456,982, priests 43, religious 155). He succeeds Bishop Jose Oscar Barahona Castillo, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with Canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
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