HOLY FATHER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF KAZAKHSTAN

VATICAN CITY, 6 NOV 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

  "Today, Friday 6 November 2009, His Holiness Benedict XVI received in audience Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Mr Nazarbayev subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

  "During the course of the cordial discussions, attention turned to questions concerning the economic crisis in the light of the Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate', to inter-religious dialogue and to the promotion of peace, on the eve of Kazakhstan's presidency of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

  "At a bilateral level consideration was given, with satisfaction, to the good relations that exist between the Holy See and the Republic of Kazakhstan, and to certain themes concerning the current situation of life in the country. Mention was also made of the peaceful coexistence between faithful of various religions, and the hope expressed that believers may have an ever more active role in the life of the nation and in favour of the common good".
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 6 NOV 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Five prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Jacyr Francisco Braido C.S. of Santos.

    - Bishop Manuel Parrado Carral of Sao Miguel Paulista, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Fernando Legal S.D.B.

    - Bishop Caetano Ferrari O.F.M. of Bauru.

    - Bishop Sergio Krzywy of Aracatuba.

  This evening he is scheduled to receive in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal William Joseph Levada, perfect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 - Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 6 NOV 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - Fr. Giuseppe Sandri M.C.C.J., provincial superior of the Combonian Missionaries in South Africa, as bishop of Witbank (area 56,886, population 2,614,000, Catholics 103,278, priests 38, permanent deacons 8), South Africa. The bishop-elect was born in Faedo, Italy in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1972.

 - Fr. Vincent Nguyen of the clergy of the archdiocese of Toronto, Canada, adjunct judicial vicar and vice chancellor, and Fr. William Terrence McGrattan of the clergy of the diocese of London, Canada, rector of the Saint Peter major seminary, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Toronto (area 13,000, population 5,556,000, Catholics 1,889,000, priests 835, permanent deacons 110, religious 1,176). Bishop-elect Nguyen was born in Vietnam in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1988. Bishop-elect McGrattan was born in London, Canada in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1987.
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