Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 6 November 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Asuncion, Paraguay, presented by Archbishop Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga, C.SS.R., upon reaching the age limit. Archbishop Cuquejo Verga is succeeded by Bishop Edmundo Ponciano Valenzuela Mellid, S.D.B., coadjutor of the same archdiocese.

- elevated the diocese of Dodoma, Tanzania, to the status of metropolitan archdiocese and assigning it the suffragan dioceses of Singida and Kondoa.

- appointed Bishop Beatus Kinyaiya, O.F.M. Cap., of Mbulu, Tanzania, as first bishop of Dodoma (area 38,743, population 1,578,173, Catholics 301,593, priests 80, religious 397), Tanzania;

- appointed Bishop Eduardo Horacio Garcia, auxiliary of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as bishop of San Justo (area 134, population 1,114,000, Catholics 1,003,000, priests 71, permanent deacons 24, religious 158), Argentina. He succeeds Bishop Baldomero Carlos Martini, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father;

- appointed Rev. Fr. Donatus Aihmiosion Ogun, O.S.A., as bishop of Uromi (area 2,938, population 946,901, Catholics 139,087, priests 83, religious 39), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Sapele, Nigeria in 1966, gave his solemn vows in 1992, and was ordained a priest in 1993. He studied canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including prior and bursar of the “Our Lady of Lourdes” community in Coker Village, Lagos; prior and bursar of the “Our Lady of Good Counsel” community in Iwako Oka and university chaplain; and bursar of “St. Cyprian” in Warri and episcopal vicar for religious persons of the diocese of Warri. He is currently lecturer in the St. Thomas Aquinas major seminary and director of the St. Augustine Institute in Makurdi;

- appointed Bishop Juan Jose Omella Omella of Calahorra y La Calzada – Logrono, Spain, as member of the Congregation for Bishops;

- appointed Msgr. Giacomo Incitti, ordinary professor of canon law at the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome, as advisor to the Apostolic Penitentiary;

- appointed Rev. Fr. Serge Thomas Bonino, O.P., general secretary of the International Theological Commission and member of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), as president of the same Pontifical University;

- appointed Rev. Fr. Philippe Curbelie, official of the Congregation for Catholic Education, as office head of the same dicastery;

- appointed Msgr. Maurice Monier as judge of the Court of Appeal of Vatican City State.