OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Peter Parapullil, vicar general of the diocese of Jhansi, India, as bishop of the same diocese (area 29,418, population 8,233,914, Catholics 3,936, priests 54, religious 236). The bishop-elect was born in Perumanoor, India in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975. He studied in India and in Rome and has, among other roles, been active in pastoral care in parishes and missions, as well as working as procurator and rector of the Shrine of St. Jude in Jhansi. He succeeds Bishop Frederick D'Souza, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Pedro Vazquez Villalobos, vicar general of the diocese of San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, as bishop of Puerto Escondido (area 13,221, population 496,000, Catholics 450,000, priests 45, religious 53), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Huisquilco, Mexico in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1975. He has been active in pastoral care and is a member of presbyteral council and the college of consultors.

- Appointed Fr. Robert Herman Flock Bever of the clergy of the diocese of La Crosse, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of "La Santa Cruz" and formator of young clergy in the Bolivian archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Cochabamba (area 32,306, population 1,668,000, Catholics 1,534,000, priests 307, permanent deacons 28, religious 1,295), Bolivia The bishop-elect was born in Sparta, U.S.A., in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1982. He has worked in pastoral care, first in his American diocese then in Bolivia after moving there as a "fidei donum" priest in 1988.

- Appointed Fr. Rene Leigue Cesari of the clergy of the archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, pastor of the parish of "Nuestra Senora de Fatima" and director of studies at the major seminary of "San Lorenzo", as auxiliary of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (area 50,000, population 2,338,000, Catholics 1,842,000, priests 197, permanent deacons 5, religious 773). The bishop-elect was born in the "Comunidad Nuevo Horizonte", Bolivia in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1999. He has served as pastor in a number of different parishes.