OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 28, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the territorial prelature of Coari, Brazil, presented by Bishop Gutemberg Freire Regis C.SS.R., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Joercio Goncalves Pereira C.SS.R.

 - Appointed Bishop Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias of Paulo Afonso, Brazil, as bishop of Santarem (area 171,906, population 420,000, Catholics 228,383, priests 42, religious 72), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Lino Vomboemmel O.F.M., 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.
RE:NER/.../...                            VIS 20070228 (120)

MSGR. GIANFRANCO RAVASI TO WRITE VIA CRUCIS MEDITATIONS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 28, 2007 (VIS) - Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi, prefect of the Ambrosian Library of Milan, Italy, will write the meditations for Good Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross), which is due to be presided by the Holy Father on April 6 at the Colosseum in Rome.

  Msgr. Ravasi, an expert in Bible and Hebrew studies, is professor of biblical exegesis at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy, and a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.
.../VIS CRUCIS/RAVASI                        VIS 20070228 (90)