OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 13 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

   - appointed Fr. Noel Antonio Londono Buitrago, C.Ss.R. As bishop of Jerico (area 3,000, population 256,000, Catholics 251,000, priests 86, permanent deacons 2, religious 122), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Quimbaya, Quindio Department, Colombia, in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1973. Since ordination he has served in several academic and administrative roles, most recently, since 2011, as coordinator of the Redemptorist Missionaries of Latin America. He succeeds Bishop Jose Roberto Lopez Londono, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

   - appointed Fr. Jaya Rao Polimera as bishop of Eluru (area 6,800, population 8,300,000, Catholics 315,157, priests 226, religious 1,292), India. The bishop-elect was born in Dharmasagar, Andhra Pradesh, India, in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1992 for the Diocese of Warangal. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral roles, most recently, since 2009, as director of the Diocesan Youth Centre and a member of the College of Consultors for the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Tribunal.

   - appointed Bishop Franco Mulakkal as bishop of Jullundur (area 51,120, population 49,227,000, Catholics 139,897, priests 136, religious 802), India. Bishop Mulakkal was previously auxiliary of Delhi and titular of Chullu.

   - accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, USA presented by Bishop Fernando Isern, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.