OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 27, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Jose Luis Dibildox Martinez of Tarahumara, Mexico as bishop of Tampico (area 22, 671, population 1,183, 640, Catholics 1,110,620, priests 111, religious 178), Mexico. He succeeds Bishop Rafael Gallardo Garcia O.S.A. whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Bishop Francisco Javier Chavolla Ramos of Matamoros, Mexico as bishop of Toluca (area 7,917, population 3,234,580, Catholics 2,878,775, priests 287, religious 483), Mexico.

- Bishop Jesus Murgui Soriano, auxiliary of Valencia, Spain, as bishop of Mallorca (area 3,604, population 702,122, Catholics 557,122, priests 403, religious 1,276, permanent deacons 7), Spain.

On Tuesday, December 24 it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Pavel Posad, spiritual director of the Seminary of Olomouc, Czech Republic, as bishop of the diocese of Litomerice (area 9,380, population 1,310,476, Catholic 189,200, priests 119, religious 105, permanent deacons 13), Czech Republic. The bishop-elect was born in 1953 in Budkov, Czech Republic and was ordained a priest in 1977. He succeeds Bishop Josef Koukl whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Fr. Paul Ponen Kubi, C.S.C., vice-provincial of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, as auxiliary bishop of Mymensing (area 16,448, population 14,009,701, Catholics 65,220, priests 26, religious 121), Bangladesh. The bishop-elect was born in 1956 in Dewachala, Bangladesh and was ordained a priest in 1986.

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