VATICAN CITY, 16 JUL 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Msgr. Francesc Pardo Artigas, vicar general Terrassa, Spain, as bishop of Girona (area 4,705, population 768,439, Catholics 650,000, priests 258, religious 728), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Torrellas de Foix, Spain in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973. He succeeds Bishop Carles Soler Perdigo, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Joan Piris Frigola of Menorca, as bishop of Lleida (area 2,977, population 225,445, Catholics 213,049, priests 133, permanent deacons 5, religious 252), Spain.
- Appointed Fr. Sergio Osvaldo Beunanueva, rector of the metropolitan seminary of Mendoza, Argentina, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 63,839, population 1,178,980, Catholics 1,002,133, priests 167, permanent deacons 43, religious 360). The bishop-elect was born in San Martin, Argentina in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990.
- Appointed Fr. Brian Joseph Dunn of the clergy of the diocese of Grand Falls, Canada, professor of canon law in St. Peter's Seminary of London, Ontario, and Fr. Noel Simard of the clergy of the archdiocese of Quebec, Canada, professor of theology at Saint Paul University of Ottawa, as auxiliaries of the diocese of Sault Sainte Marie (area 196,603, population 388,222, Catholics 214,639, priests 119, permanent deacons 87, religious 223), Canada. Bishop-elect Dunn was born in Saint John's Newfoundland, Canada in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1980. Bishop-elect Simard was born in Charlevoix, Canada in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1972.
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