OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 23, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Msgr. Jose Mendoza Corzo, vicar general of the archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, and pastor of the parish of "Santa Cruz" in Teran, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 22,629, population 1,210,000, Catholics 934,000, priests 145, religious 314). The bishop-elect was born in Cristobal Obregon, Mexico in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1988.

 - Appointed Fr. Thaddeus Cho Hwan-Kil, director of the Catholic daily "Maeil," as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Daegu (area 9,128, population 4,466,166, Catholics 419,299, priests 353, religious 1,142), Korea. The bishop-elect was born in Hwa-Won, Korea in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1981.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 23, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Archbishop Paolo Mario Virgilio Atzei O.F.M. Conv., of Sassari, Italy, on his "ad limina " visit.

 - Hans-Gert Poettering, president of the European Parliament, accompanied by an entourage.

 - Three prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Giacomo Lanzetti of Alghero-Bosa.

    - Bishop Sergio Pinter of Ozieri.

    - Bishop Tarcisio Pillolla, apostolic administrator of Iglesias.

  This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

  Yesterday evening, March 22, he received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

 - Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."
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POPE RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 23, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique concerning the audience granted by the Holy Father to Mary McAleese, president of Ireland.

  "This morning, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mary McAleese, president of Ireland, accompanied by her husband and an entourage.

  "The president subsequently went on the meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

  "In the course of the discussions, which took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, attention turned to problems associated with the situation of the Church in Ireland, concentrating particularly on the positive start of 'Structured Dialogue' between the State and Churches - in the spirit of the new European Constitutional Treaty - as a promising way towards a positive contribution of Churches to the life of society.

  "Consideration was also given to other more general questions such as the construction of Europe and its Christian root's, and developments in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

  "Particular appreciation was expressed for Irish commitment to providing disinterested aid for the development of the poorest countries of Africa, with its White Paper on Aid'."
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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2007 (VIS) - The following prelates died recently:

 - Bishop Miguel Angel Lecumberri Erburu O.C.D., former apostolic vicar of Tumaco, Colombia, on March 14, at the age of 82.

 - Bishop Carlos Ambrosio Lewis S.V.D., coadjutor emeritus of David, Panama, on November 29, 2004, at the age of 86.

 - Bishop Jose Ivo Lorscheiter, emeritus of Santa Maria, Brazil, on March 5, at the age of 79.

 - Bishop Abdul-Ahad Sana, emeritus of Alquoch of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on March 2, 2007, at the age of 84.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Freetown and Bo, Sierra Leone, presented by Bishop Joseph Henry Ganda, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to Uganda, as apostolic nuncio to Mexico.

 - Appointed Bishop Richard William Smith of Pembroke, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Edmonton (area 81,151, population 1,439,572, Catholics 353,545, priests 175, permanent deacons 1, religious 449), Canada. The archbishop-elect was born in Halifax, Canada in 1959, he was ordained a priest in 1987, and consecrated a bishop in 2002.
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