OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 15 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Hong Kong, China, presented by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon.

 - Appointed Fr. Michael McKenna of the clergy of the diocese of Sale, Australia, chaplain of the University of Melbourne, Australia, as bishop of Bathurst (area 103,560, population 211,000, Catholics 66,200, priests 37, religious 89), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Bairnsdale, Australia in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1983.

 - Appointed Bishop Caetano Ferrari O.F.M. of Franca, Brazil, as bishop of Bauru (area 5,982, population 504,000, Catholics 450,000, priests 62, religious 130), Brazil.

 - Appointed Bishop Gregory O'Kelly S.J., auxiliary of Adelaide, Australia, as bishop of Port Pirie (area 978,823, population 172,713, Catholics 29,653, priests 25, religious 26), Australia.

 - Appointed Fr. Jose Daniel Falla Robles of the clergy of the archdiocese of Bogota, Colombia, rector of the "Monserrate" Shrine, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Cali (area 2,504, population 2,660,000, Catholics 2,260,000, priests 324, permanent deacons 17, religious 942), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Bogota in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1992.

  On Thursday 9 April it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Fr. Silvio Jose Baez Ortega O.C.D., vice president of Rome's Pontifical Theological Faculty and "Teresianum" Pontifical Institute of Spirituality, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Managua (area 5,312, population 2,509,279, Catholics 1,900,000, priests 166, religious 355), Nicaragua. The bishop-elect was born in Masaya, Nicaragua in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1984.
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