OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 11 February 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Archbishop Romulo G. Valles of Zamboanga, Philippines, as metropolitan archbishop of Davao (area 2,443, population 1,477,000, Catholics 1,185,000, priests 157,religious 809), Philippines. He succeeds Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Nicolas Brouwet, auxiliary of Nanterre, France, as bishop of Tarbes et Lourdes (area 4,535, population 229,000, Catholics 151,000, priests 168, permanent deacons 14, religious 520), France. He succeeds Bishop Jacques Perrier, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jonas Ivanauskas, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Kaunas, Lithuania, as bishop of Kaisiadorys (area 6,557, population 174,000, Catholics 141,200, priests 61, religious 27), Lithuania. He succeeds Bishop Juozas Matulaitis, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Linas Vodopjanovas O.F.M., pastor of Kretinga in the diocese of Telsiai, Lithuania, and vice provincial for the Lithuanian Province of "St. Casimir" of the Friars Minor, as auxiliary of Telsiai (area 13,373, population 725,900, Catholics 581,000, priests 157, religious 52). The bishop-elect was born in Neringa, Lithuania in 1973 and ordained a priest in 2000. He studied in Italy and has held a number of positions in his order, including that of master of novices.

- Appointed Fr. Pierre Claver Malgo, former rector of the major interdiocesan seminary of "Saint-Jean-Baptist" in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as bishop of Fada-N'Gourma (area 47,681, population 1,274,000, Catholics 96,891, priests 49, religious 99), Burkina Faso. The bishop-elect was born in Dimistenga, Burkina Faso in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1984. He studied in his own country and in Cote d'Ivoire and, among other duties, has served as a pastor in France.

- Erected the new diocese of Tenkodogo (area 10,777, population 954,377, Catholics 138,212, priests 50, religious 26) Burkina Faso, with territory taken from the diocese of Fada-N'Gourma and the archdiocese of Koupela, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Koupela. He appointed Fr. Prosper Kontiebo M.I., vice provincial of the Camillian Fathers in Burkina Faso, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Boassa, Burkina Faso in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied professional nursing and has worked in his order as formator and bursar.

- Erected the new apostolic prefecture of Robe (area 116,221, population 2,737,512, Catholics 2,000, priests 5, religious 13) Ethiopia, with territory taken from the apostolic vicariate of Meki. He appointed Fr. Angelo Antolini O.F.M. Cap., episcopal vicar for the region of Robe and national director of the Pontifical Missionary Works in Ethiopia, as first apostolic prefect of the new prefecture.