THIRTY-FIVE BISHOPS IN CUBA TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Vatican City, 28 January 2014 (VIS) – The Pontifical Council for Social Communications is organising a seminar on communication, to be held in February in Havana, Cuba. During the four days during which the meeting will take place, the participants, thirty-five bishops from Central America and the Caribbean, will reflect upon the meaning of communication in today's world, how to communicate and what to communicate, according to Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the dicastery.

The seminar will focus on the Pope's message for World Social Communications Day, “Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter”, and will have the principal aim of offering bishops the tools for improving their communication strategies in their dioceses.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 28 January 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops, as secretary of the College of Cardinals.

IN MEMORIAM

Vatican City, 28 January 2014 (VIS) – The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Arvaldis Andrejs Brumanis, emeritus of Liepaja, Latvia, on 17 December at the age of 87.

- Cardinal Ricard Maria Carles Gordo, archbishop of Barcelona, Spain, on 17 December at the age of 87.

- Bishop Francisco Manuel Vieira, emeritus of Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 23 December at the age of 88.

- Bishop Soane Lilo Foliaki, S.M., emeritus of Tonga, Pacific (Oceania), on 24 December at the age of 80.

- Bishop Joaquim Goncalves, emeritus of Vila Real, Portugal, on 31 December at the age of 77.

- Bishop Salvatore Nicolosi, emeritus of Noto, Italy, on 10 January at the age of 91.

- Bishop Alphonsus Augustus Sowada, O.S.C, emeritus of Agats, Indonesia, on 11 January at the age of 80.

- Bishop Francis Joseph Pierre Deniau, emeritus of Nevers, France, on 12 January at the age of 77.

- Bishop Jose de Jesus Garcia Ayala, emeritus of Campeche, Mexico, on 15 January at the age of 103.

- Bishop John Mackey, emeritus of Auckland, New Zealand, on 20 January at the age of 96.

- Bishop Kurt Krenn, emeritus of Sankt Polten, Austria, on 25 January at the age of 77.