OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 15 October 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:

- elevated Fr. Fernando Vergez Alzaga, L.C., secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State, to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Salamanca, Spain in 1945 and was ordained a priest in 1969. He holds a licentiate in philosophy and theology from the Gregorian Pontifical University and the diploma of the School of Archivistry of the Vatican Secret Archives. He has served in the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life and the Congregation for the Laity, and in 2004 he was nominated bureau chief of the Holy See Internet Office. In 2008 he was nominated director of the Department of Telecommunications of Vatican City State.

- appointed Archbishop Giovanni Ricchiuti as bishop of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti (area 1,309, population 170,500, Catholics 168,500, priests 91, permanent deacons 11, religious 184), Italy. Bishop Ricchiuti, previously archbishop of Acerenza, was born in Bisceglie, Italy in 1948, was ordained to the priesthood in 1972, and received episcopal ordination in 2005. He succeeds Bishop Mario Paciello, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

- appointed Rev. Mark Hagemoen, of the clergy of Vancouver, as bishop of MacKenzie-Fort Smith (area 1,523,400, population 49,150, Catholics 27,050, priests 8, permanent deacons 1, religious 11), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He obtained the title “Doctor in Ministry” from Trinity Western University, Vancouver and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar of St. Stephen, Vancouver; parish vicar of “St. Mary”, Chilliwack; director of youth pastoral for the archdiocese; parish priest of “St. Nicholas”, at Langley; vicar general of the archdiocese; episcopal vicar for diocesan pastoral services; parish priest of “St. John the Apostle”, Vancouver, and director of the Catholic Colleges of “Corpus Christi” and “St. Mark's”, in Vancouver. He is a member of the council of the Center for Ministry Development, of the College of Consultors and of the council of the Catholic Little Flower Academy High School for Girls, in Vancouver.

- appointed Bishop Sebastien Muyengo Mulombe as bishop of Uvira (area 36,000, population 1,370,000, Catholics 483,321, priests 60, religious 51), Democratic Republic of Congo. Bishop Muyengo Mulombe was previously auxiliary of Kinshasa.