OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 11, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid, S.C.I., archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as his special envoy to the fifteenth National Eucharistic Congress of Brazil, which will be held in the Brazilian city of Florianopolis from May 18 to 21.

 - Accepted the resignation from the office of president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples presented by Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, upon having reached the age limit. The Holy Father also united, for the time being, the presidency of this pontifical council to that of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Consequently, he appointed Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as the new president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.

 - In order to favor more intense dialogue between people of culture and exponents of different religions, he united, for the time being, the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue to that of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Consequently, he appointed Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, as the new president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.
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