OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:

- appointed Abbot Jean-Marie Lovey, C.R.B., as bishop of Sion (area 5,589, population 319,000, Catholics 245,000, priests 222, permanent deacons 17, religious 406), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Orsieres, Switzerland in 1950, gave his perpetual vows in 1971, and was ordained a priest in 1977. He holds a licentiate from the University of Fribourg, and has served as chaplain in various colleges and as prior of the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. He is currently prepositor general of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Great St. Bernard. He succeeds Bishop Norbert Brunner, whose resignation in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law was accepted by the Holy Father.

- appointed Fr. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, C.M.F., as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Makurdi (area 7,304, population 1,014,000, Catholics 457,070, priests 77, religious 51), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Aondona Village, Nigeria in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a masters degree in theology from the Spiritan International School of Theology, Enugu State, Nigeria. He has held a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the “St. Peter's” parish, Gariki; and the “St. Fidelis” parish, Allan; dean of Utonkon in the diocese of Otukpo; and military chaplain of the 34th Artillery Brigade, Obinze. He is currently provincial bursar and military chaplain of the 3rd Battalion, Warri.

- appointed Fr. David Martinez De Aguirre Guinea, O.P., as coadjutor bishop of the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado (area 150,000, population 324,000, Catholics 259,000, priests 56, religious 67), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in 1970, took his perpetual vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He holds a licentiate in biblical theology from the University of Deusto, Bilbao. He has served in the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, as lecturer in biblical theology in the seminary of the vicariate, as priest in the parish of “Inmaculada Concepcion de Kirigueti and as head of the mission of Kirigueti. He is currently head of the “San Pedro Martir de Timpia” mission, member of the directorate of the “Jose Pio Aza” cultural centre in Lima advisor of the regional Dominican vicariate Santa Rosa de Lima.