OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Westminster, Great Britain, presented by Bishop James O'Brien, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Bernardo Alvarez Afonso, vicar general of San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife (area 3,328, population 915,262, Catholics 823,736, priests 260, permanent deacons 3, religious 554), Spain, as bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Brena Alta, Spain, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Felipe Fernandez Garcia, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon law.

 - Appointed Fr. Krzysztof Bialasik S.V.D., secretary for pastoral care of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, as bishop of Oruro (area 53,588, population 403,521, Catholics 342,993, priests 36, permanent deacons 5, religious 133), Bolivia. The bishop-elect was born in Zbaszyn, Poland, in 1958 and ordained to the priesthood in 1985.

 - Appointed Fr. Ricardo Ernesto Centellas Guzman, vicar general of the archdiocese of Sucre, Bolivia, as auxiliary of Potosi (area 118,218, population 723,494, Catholics 651,144, priests 63, permanent deacons 5, religious 105), Bolivia. The bishop-elect was born in Suquistaca, Bolivia, in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988.
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