OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Archbishop Edmond Farhat, apostolic nuncio to Turkey and Turkmenistan, as apostolic nuncio to Austria. He succeeds Archbishop Giorgio Zur, whose resignation from the same office was accepted by the Holy Father, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop William Enrique Delgado Silva of El Vigia - San Carlos del Zulia, Venezuela, as bishop of Cabimas (area 8,251, population 797,560, Catholics 739,380, priests 39, permanent deacons 6, religious 21), Venezuela.

- Appointed Rutilio J. del Riego, pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside, California, U.S.A., as auxiliary of San Bernardino (area 70,662, population 3,556,631, Catholics 1,017,196, priests 244, permanent deacons 91, religious 280), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Valdesandinas, Spain in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1965.
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ATTACK ON ISRAEL WAS INCLUDED IN PAPAL CONDEMNATION

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2005 (VIS) - Yesterday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration to journalists:

  "Concerning the Israeli reaction to the fact that the Holy Father, in his Angelus of Sunday July 24, did not also mention Israel alongside other countries, it should be noted that Benedict XVI's words specifically referred to the attacks of 'these days.'

  "It is surprising that the Holy Father's intention should have been thus groundlessly misinterpreted, it being well known that in numerous interventions the Church, the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs, and most recently Pope Benedict XVI, have condemned all forms of terrorism, from whatever side it comes and against whomsoever it is directed.

  "Obviously, the serious attack in Netanya two weeks ago, to which the Israeli comments refer, also falls under the general and unreserved condemnation of terrorism."
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