OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 24 September 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Raul Martin as bishop of Santa Rosa (area 143,440, population 348,000, Catholics 172,600, priests 38, religious 75), Argentina. Bishop Martin, previously auxiliary of Buenos Aires, Argentina was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1957, was ordained to the priesthood in 1990, and received episcopal ordination in 2006.

- appointed Bishop Pietro Maria Fragnelli as bishop of Trapani (area 1,089, population 208,216, Catholics 207,000, priests 103, permanent deacons 17, religious 212), Italy. Bishop Fragnelli, previously bishop of Castellaneta, Italy was born in Crispiano, Italy in 1952, was ordained to the priesthood in 1977, and received episcopal ordination in 2003.

- appointed Bishop Bernard A. Hebda as coadjutor archbishop of Newark (area 1,328, population 3,089,000, Catholics 1,427,000, priests 774, permanent deacons 184, religious 1,076), U.S.A. Archbishop-elect Hebda, previously bishop of Gaylord, U.S.A, was born in Pittsburgh, U.S.A. in 1959, was ordained to the priesthood in 1989, and received episcopal ordination in 2009.

- confirmed Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko as president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Bishop Josef Clemens as secretary of the same dicastery, for the current five-year period. All members and consultors of the same dicastery have been confirmed until 31 December 2013.

- confirmed Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson as president of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace and Bishop Mario Toso as secretary of the same dicastery, as well as all members and consultors, for the current five-year period.