OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 8, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge, auxiliary of Philadelphia, U.S.A., as bishop of Raleigh, (area 82,524, population 4,073,983, Catholics 188,101, priests 138, permanent deacons 37, religious 118), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Francis Joseph Gossman, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Daniel E. Thomas of the clergy of the archdiocese of Philadelphia, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 5,652, population 3,875,021, Catholics 1,479,895, priests 1,048, permanent deacons 224, religious 3,733). The bishop-elect was born in Philadelphia in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1985.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 8, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Norbert Lammert, speaker of the German parliament, the "Bundestag," accompanied by an entourage.

 - Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care.

 - Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, accompanied by members of his family.

 - Maximo Pacheco Gomez, ambassador of Chile, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.

 - Lorenzo Ornaghi, rector of the Sacred Heart Catholic University.
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MASS AND EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION FOR CORPUS CHRISTI

VATICAN CITY, JUN 8, 2006 (VIS) - At 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in the square of St. John Lateran, then preside at the Eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
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