OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 5, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Fr. Rodrigo Mejia Saldarriaga S.J., director of the Galilee Center in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, as apostolic vicar of Soddo-Hosanna (area 65,000, population 7,000,000, Catholics 250,000, priests 56, religious 74), Ethiopia. The bishop-elect was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1938 and ordained a priest in 1969 . He succeeds Bishop Domenico Crescentino Marinozzi O.F.M. Cap., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Leopldo C. Jaucian S.V.D., superior general of the Verbite central province in Manila, Philippines, as bishop of Bangued (area 3,975, population 236,545, Catholics 198,497, priests 38, religious 38), Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in Santa, Philippines in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1988.

 - Appointed Bishop Isabelo Caiban Abarquez, auxiliary of Palo, Philippines, as bishop of Calbayog, Philippines (area 5,069, population 689,087, Catholics 654,632, priests 61, religious 81), Philippines.

 - Appointed Fr. Emmanuel Felemou of the clergy of N'Zerekore, Guniea, rector of the seminary of "Saint Eugene de Samoe" and episcopal vicar for the formation of the diocesan clergy, as bishop of Kankan (area 118,000, population 1,811,000, Catholics 56,255, priests 29, religious 24), Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Kolouma, Guinea in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1989.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 5, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 - Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

 - Cardinal William Wakefield Baum, major penitentiary emeritus.

 - Fr. Mauro Johri, minister general of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JAN 4, 2007 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

 - Bishop Auguste Delisle S.S.Sp., emeritus of Lokoja, Nigeria, on November 13, at the age of 98.

 - Archbishop Nerses Der Nersessian C.A.M., ordinary emeritus for Armenian Catholics of Eastern Europe, on December 24, at the age of 86.

 - Archbishop Ettore Di Filippo, emeritus of Campobasso-Boiano, Italy, on December 18, at the age of 84.

 - Bishop Daniele Ferrari, emeritus of Chiavari, Italy, on December 20, at the age of 86.

 - Bishop Jacinto Guerrero Torres of Tlaxcala, Mexico, on December 27, at the age of 72.

 - Archbishop Jorge Manuel Lopez, emeritus of Rosario, Argentina, on December 22, at the age of 88.
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BENEDICT XVI VISITS A CARITAS SHELTER IN ROME

VATICAN CITY, JAN 4, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father visited a shelter run by the diocesan Caritas of Rome on the city's Colle Oppio. Founded in 1983, it was the first structure for homeless people to be established in Rome. Over the last 23 years it has welcomed thousands of people, both Italians and non-Italians, and distributed more than nine million meals.

  Accompanied by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, Bishop Ernesto Mandara, auxiliary of Rome for the central area, and Msgr. Guerino Di Tora, director of Caritas, the Pope visited the welcome center, the canteen and a nativity scene built by the Caritas volunteers and the people who use the shelter. He also greeted young people from the "Monti-Esquilino" youth center, which is based in the same building.

  At the entrance to the canteen, the Pope paused to bless a plaque commemorating John Paul II's visit there on December 20, 1992. A phrase Pope John Paul pronounced on that occasion - "suffering man concerns us" - is now inscribed on the plaque.

  Afterwards, in the courtyard attached to the canteen, the Pope met with the Caritas volunteers and the people who use the shelter.

  "In this shelter, which can in some way be considered as the symbol of Roman Caritas" he said in his address to them, "it is possible to touch the presence of Christ in our brothers and sisters who are hungry, and in those who give them to eat. Here we can experience how, when we love our fellows, we know God better. In the manger of Bethlehem, He showed Himself to us in the poverty of a helpless newborn child. The Christmas message is simple: God came among us because He loves us. God is love, not a sentimental love but a love that became a total giving of self, even unto the sacrifice on the cross."

  Benedict XVI recalled how the word Bethlehem means "house of bread. Truly Jesus - the bread from heaven, the living bread - in some way shows Himself every day in this shelter, where the aim is not just to give people to eat, but to serve them without distinction of race, religion or culture."

  "A call addressed to everyone arises from the manger of Bethlehem, from each nativity scene: Jesus loves us and He teaches us to love. The directors, the volunteers and all those who frequent this shelter can experience the beauty of this love. They can feel the profundity of the joy that it brings, a joy most certainly different from the one proclaimed by publicity and advertising."

  The Pope concluded his talk by calling upon the Lord "to continue to protect the people who, in Roman Caritas, undertake such precious work in promoting solidarity, both here and elsewhere in the city. May the Holy Spirit animate the hearts of the directors, workers and volunteers that they may serve with ever more committed dedication, drawing inspiration from authentic Christian love, which the saints of charity summarized in the motto: 'the good done well'."

  After his address, five prayer intentions were read out, followed by the Our Father and the final blessing. The Pope was then given "ID card number one" for accessing Caritas shelters in Rome, an apron of the kind worn by the volunteers, a blanket, and an album with drawings by children living in a shelter for mothers in difficulties. For his part, the Holy Father donated 10,000 blankets and 2,000 overcoats to distribute to the homeless people whom the Caritas volunteers meet every night in the streets of the capital.

  At midday, his visit concluded, the Pope returned to the Vatican by car.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 3, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Fr. Angelo Pignoli of the clergy of the diocese of Franca, Brazil, diocesan coordinator of pastoral care and pastor of the parish of "Sant'Ana," as bishop of Quixada (area 15,134, population 294,125, Catholics 263,900, priests 40, religious 98), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Cappella Picenardi, Italy in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Bishop Adelio Giuseppe Tomasin P.S.D.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Joao Bosco Barbosa de Sousa O.F.M., pastor of the parish of "Sao Francisco de Assis," in the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop of Uniao da Vitoria (area 10,000, population 286,000, Catholics 246,000, priests 39, permanent deacons 12, religious 72), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Guaratingueta, Brazil in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1978. He succeeds Bishop Walter Michael Ebejer O.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Messias dos Reis Silveira of the clergy of the diocese of Guaxupe, Brazil, pastor of the diocesan cathedral "Nossa Senhora das Dores," as bishop of Uruacu (area 43,''', population 354,000, Catholics 302,000, priests 38, religious 36), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Passos, Brazil in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1992. He succeeds Bishop Jose da Silva Chaves, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop Rene-Marie Ehuzu C.I.M., of Abomey, Benin, as bishop of Porto Novo (area 4,545, population 1,180,015, Catholics 376,050, priests 61, religious 109), Benin.

 - Appointed as members of the Congregation for Bishops, Archbishops Giovanni Marra, emeritus of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, Italy, and Giorgio Zur, apostolic nuncio.
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