OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 26 MAY 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Bangui, Central African Republic, presented by Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Moko Ekanga P.S.S., rector of the "Jean XXIII" Seminary in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as bishop of Idiofa (area 40,000, population 2,264,000, Catholics 1,131,000, priests 101, religious 133), Democratic Republic of the Congo. The bishop-elect was born in Kinshasa in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1986.

- Appointed Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, as president of the management board of the Vatican Television Centre.

- Appointed Fr. Joaquin Alliende, president of the Aid to the Church in Need Association, as a member of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".

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POPE TO INAUGURATE ECCLESIAL CONGRESS OF HIS DIOCESE

VATICAN CITY, 26 MAY 2009 (VIS) - At 7.30 p.m. today in the basilica of St. John Lateran, cathedral of Rome, Benedict XVI will inaugurate the ecclesial congress of the diocese of Rome, which is due to last until 29 May and has as its theme: "Church membership and pastoral co-responsibility".

According to a communique released by the vicariate of Rome, pastors, priests, religious and lay faithful of the parishes, associations and movements of the diocese are all invited to participate in the event. The congress will come to an end at 7.30 p.m. on Friday 29 May with an address by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, His Holiness' vicar general for the diocese of Rome.

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