DEATH OF PATRIARCH MAXIM OF BULGARIA

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father sent a message of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church following the death of His Beatitude Maxim, Metropolitan of Sofia and Patriarch of Bulgaria. "For many years", writes Benedict XVI, the deceased "dutifully served the Lord and His people. In the name of the Catholic Church, I accompany your mourning with my prayers ... and, participating in the mourning of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, I give thanks to God for the good brought by the late Patriarch to his Church and to the people of his country. In particular, I recall the cordial welcome given to Blessed John Paul II ... in May 2002. I thank the Lord for the good relations the Patriarch developed with the Catholic Church, ... and I hope that this good rapport may continue to promote the proclamation of the Gospel".

BENEDICT XVI TO VISIT HOME FOR THE ELDERLY

Vatican City,  (VIS) - On the occasion of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, at 11 a.m. on Monday 12 November Benedict XVI will visit the Sant'Egidio Community's "Viva gli Anziani" home for the elderly in Rome.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE

Vatican City,  (VIS) - Francesco De Pasquale, director of the Financial Information Authority (AIF) since June 2011, has been appointed to the board of the AIF. He is succeeded by Rene Bruelhart, former director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Liechtenstein.

Francesco De Pasquale, who has extensive experience at the "Ufficio Italiano Cambi" and the Bank of Italy and has been Director of the AIF since June 2011, has been named a member of the board of AIF, which in addition to the president, Cardinal Attilio Nicora, includes Prof. Condemi, Prof. Dalla Torre, Prof. Bianchi and Dr. Testa.

Cardinal Nicora has named Rene Bruelhart to succeed De Pasquale. Bruelhart, former director of the FIU of Liechtenstein and Vice-President of the Egmont Group, the international network of FIUs, has been an adviser to the Holy See and Vatican City since September in matters relating to action against money laundering and financing of terrorism.

With the promotion of De Pasquale to the Board of Directors and the nomination of Bruelhart to Director, AIF has strengthened its internal organisation. This represents one more step in the effort to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Jorge Alves Bezerra S.S.S. of Jardim, Brazil, as bishop of Paracatu (area 54,387, population 332,000, Catholics 259,000, priests 44, permanent deacons 13, religious 13), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Leonardo de Miranda Pereira, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Msgr. Eraldo Bispo da Silva, vicar general of Barreiras, as bishop of Patos (area 10,874, population 402,000, Catholics 368,000, priests 49, permanent deacons 8, religious 42), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Monteiro, Brazil in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1993. He studied in Brazil and Colombia and has been active in pastoral care in several different parishes.

- As ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato, professor of physics at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Joachim von Braun, professor of economics and technological innovation, and director of the Research Development Centre at the University of Bonn, Germany.