IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAR 2008 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

 - Cardinal Peter Porekuu Dery, archbishop emeritus of Tamale, Ghana, on 6 March at the age of 89.

 - Bishop Romeu Brigenti, former auxiliary of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 10 March at the age of 91.

 - Bishop Kevin John Dunn of Hexham and Newcastle, England, on 1 March at the age of 57.

 - Bishop Urbanus Joseph Kioko, emeritus of Machakos, Kenya, on 2 March at the age of 79.

 - Bishop Pierre Mamie, emeritus of Lausanne, Geneve and Fribourg, Switzerland, on 14 March at the age of 88.

 - Archbishop Gastone Mojaisky-Perrelli, emeritus of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia, Italy, on 5 March at the age of 93.

 - Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mossul of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on 12 March at the age of 65.

 - Bishop Denys Tapsoba M. Afr., emeritus of Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso, on 13 March at the age of 91.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAR 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Fausto Gabriel Travez Travez O.F.M., apostolic vicar of Zamora en Ecuador, Ecuador, as bishop of Babahoyo (area 6,531, population 761,000, Catholics 563,000, priests 30, religious 44), Ecuador. He succeeds Bishop Jesus Ramon Martinez de Ezquerecocha Suso, 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.
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CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE, TITULAR CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAR 2008 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 6 p.m. on Saturday 5 April, Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, will take possession of the diaconate of St. John della Pigna in Vicolo della Minerva 51, Rome.

  Also at 6 p.m. on Saturday 5 April, Cardinal Agustín Garcia-Gasco Vicente, metropolitan archbishop of Valencia, Spain, will take possession of the title of St. Marcellus in Piazza San Marcello 5, Rome.

  The communique further announces that at 11 a.m. on Sunday 6 April, Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, metropolitan archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, will take possession of the title of title of St. Lucy a Piazza Armi in Via di Santa Lucia 5, Rome.
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COMMEMORATION OF JOHN PAUL II, BEATIFICATION IN FLORENCE

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAR 2008 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has announced that at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday 2 April, Benedict XVI will preside at Mass in the Vatican Basilica to mark the third anniversary of the death of Servant of God John Paul II.

  The same office has also announced that at 3.30 p.m. on 30 March, a ceremony will be held in the cathedral of Florence, Italy, to beatify Servant of God Celestina of the Mother of God (nee Maria Anna Donati).
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