OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 10 December 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Msgr. Jesus Fernandez Gonzalez as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela (area 8,545, population 1,299,880, Catholics 1,191,800, priests 771, permanent deacons 11, religious 1,289), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Selga de Ordain, Spain in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1980. He holds a licentiate in psychology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest in the parishes of Senra and Lazado; formator, professor and rector in the minor seminary; ordinary professor in the Higher Centre for Theological Studies, formator in the San Froilan major seminary; priest in the parish of Cuadros and parish administrator of Valsemana, and episcopal vicar for pastoral for the clergy. Since 2010 he has served as vicar general of the same diocese, moderator of the Curia and advisor to the Pastoral Commission of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

- appointed Fr. Urban Federer, O.S.B., as ordinary abbot of the territorial abbey of Maria Einsiedeln (area 1, population 70, Catholics 70, priests 48, religious 150), Switzerland. The abbot-elect was born in Zurigo-Fluntern, Switzerland in 1968 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a licentiate in German literature and history, and a doctorate in medieval German studies, both from the University of Fribourg. He also studied music and Gregorian chant at the Fribourg Conservatory of Music. He has served as a lecturer in religion, German language and history at the school in the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln, and of spirituality and Gregorian chant in the theological institute of the same abbey, as well as prefect of internships, teacher of novices, editor of the magazine “Salve” and director of the monastic choir. Fr. Federer is currently dean and vicar general of the same territorial abbey.