OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg, Germany, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and as president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. He succeeds Cardinal William Joseph Levada, whose resignation from the same offices the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Removed Archbishop Robert Bezak C.SS.R., from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Trnava, Slovakia.

On Saturday 30 June it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.J., president of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

- Appointed as presidents delegate of the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, due to be held in the Vatican from 7 to 28 October on the theme: "The new evangelisation for the transmission of the Christian faith": Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong, China; Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Dunkeld, Scotland, presented by Bishop Vincent Paul Logan, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Phu Cuong, Vietnam, presented by Bishop Pierre Tran Dinh Tu, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Quy Nhon, Vietnam, presented by Bishop Pierre Nguyen Soan, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Matthieu Nguyen Van Khoi.

- Appointed Bishop Marian Rojek, auxiliary of Przemysl of the Latins, Poland, as bishop of Zamosc-Lubaczow (area 8,144, population 486,624, Catholics 472,742, priests 469, religious 168), Poland.

On Friday 29 June it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the territorial prelature of Corocoro, Brazil, presented by Bishop Toribio Ticona Porco, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Claudio Dalla Zuanna S.C.I., vicar general of the Dehonian Fathers, as archbishop of Beira (area 78,018 population 1,490,000, Catholics 828,000, priests 77, religious 134), Mozambique. The archbishop-elect was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1984. He has served in missionary and pastoral work in Mozambique and as counsellor general of his order.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Alessandro O.F.M. Cap., vicar general of the diocese of Garissa, Kenya, as coadjutor of the same diocese (area 142,704, population 847,500, Catholics 8,500, priests 17, religious 29). The bishop-elect was born in Paola, Malta in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1970. He has worked in education, including as rector of INSERM (Institutum Nationale Studiorum Ecclesiasticorum Religiosorum Melitensium), and has also held various positions of responsibility in his religious congregation.