POPE EXPRESSES JOY FOR LIBERATION OF ITALIAN MISSIONARY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 20, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday evening the pope expressed his joy on the liberation of the fifty-seven year old Italian missionary Giancarlo Bossi, abducted June 10 on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

  The release yesterday of Fr. Bossi of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), said the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., "brings great joy to the entire Church and also for the Holy Father".

  Upon arriving at the Italian alpine region of Lorenzago di Cadore this past July 9 for a brief period of rest, Benedict XVI communicated that he was following the situation closely, praying each and every day for the release of the priest abducted in the Philippines.

  "It seems", said Fr. Lombardi, "that our prayers have been answered. We now hope that Fr. Bossi may tranquilly return to his missionary duties and that there be no further abductions or other episodes of violence in the region."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Bishop Luciano Monari of Piacenza-Bobbio, Italy, as bishop of Brescia (area 4,538, population 1,094,686, Catholics 959,680, priests 1,059, permanent deacons 35, religious 2,471), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Giulio Sanguineti, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop Robert Rivas O.P. of Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as coadjutor archbishop of Castries (area 616, population 157,775, Catholics 100,243, priests 31, permanent deacons 13, religious 74), St. Lucia. The archbishop-elect was born in Arima, Trinidad, in 1946, he was ordained a priest in 1971 and consecrated a bishop in 1990.
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VATICAN CITY STATE OPENS NEW INTERNET PORTAL

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - The Governorate of Vatican City State today opened a new Internet portal (www.vaticanstate.va) in order to meet the needs of the ever increasing numbers of pilgrims and tourists in the Vatican, and to respond to the continuous requests for information reaching the various offices of Vatican State though the traditional channels.

  A communique made public yesterday afternoon explains that the new website, which will run alongside the official Holy See website (www.vatican.va), has been implemented in five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and German) with Portuguese soon to be added. Through its five sections (State and Government, Services, Other Institutions, Monuments and Shop) the portal "presents the State's bodies, the key monuments with descriptions and images, and useful time schedules for the public" reads the English-language communique.

  The site also offers a photo tour of the Vatican Gardens, as well as giving real time access via five webcams to some of the most famous sights: the dome of St. Peter's, St. Peter's Square, a panoramic view of Rome, the tomb of John Paul II and the palace of the Governorate.

  Via the new portal, the communique concludes, "visitors will soon be able to purchase Vatican coins, stamps and other articles available from the Vatican Museum's publications and reproductions sales office."
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CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE: AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - Below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father in the months of August and September.

AUGUST

 - Wednesday 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mass in the parish church of St. Thomas at Castelgandolfo at 8 a.m.

SEPTEMBER

 - Saturday 1 to Sunday 2: Trip to Loreto, Italy, for a meeting of Italian youth.

 - Friday 7 to Sunday 9: apostolic trip to Austria.

 - Sunday 23: Pastoral visit to Velletri, Italy. Mass in the cathedral there at 9.30 a.m.

RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE HOLY FATHER (SEPTEMBER)

 - Saturday 15: At 4 p.m. in the Antares Center in Le Mans, France, beatification of Servant of God Basile-Antonie Marie Moreau.

 - Sunday 16: At 10 a.m. in the Marian Shrine of Lichen-Wloclawek, Poland, beatification of Servant of God Stanislaus of Jesus Mary (ne Jana Papczynski).

 - Sunday 16: At 4 p.m. in the cathedral of Bordeaux, France, beatification of Servant of God Marie Celine of the Presentation (nee Jeanne-Germaine Castang).

 - Sunday, 30: At 10 a.m. in the church of St. James and St. Agnes in Nysa-Opole, Poland, beatification of Servant of God Maria Merckert.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 18, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Munster, Germany, presented by Bishop Friedrich Ostermann, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Franz-Josef Overbeck of the clergy of the diocese of Munster, Germany, director of the institute for the diaconate and pastoral ministry, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 15,265, population 4,269,448, Catholics 2,042,159, priests 1,256, permanent deacons 248, religious 3,150). The bishop-elect was born in Marl, Germany in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1989.

 - Appointed Bishop David A. Zubik of Green Bay, U.S.A., as bishop of Pittsburgh (area 9,722, population 1,956,597, Catholics 781,811, priests 531, permanent deacons 37, religious 1,455), U.S.A.

 - Appointed Fr. Gaetano Galbusera S.D.B., rector of the major seminary of Pumallucay, Peru, as coadjutor of the apostolic vicariate of Pucallpa (area 52,168, population 500,000, Catholics 390,000, priests 20, religious 45), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Marasso-Missaglia, Italy in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1967.
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