OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 27 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Manoel dos Reis de Farias of Patos, Brazil, as bishop of Petrolina (area 15,622, population 421,836, Catholics 337,468, priests 36, religious 67), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Paulo Cardoso da Silva O. Carm., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same bishop the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Ivo Muser of the clergy of the diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy, dean of the cathedral chapter in Bressanone, as bishop of the same diocese (area 7,400, population 500,030, Catholics 485,029, priests 700, permanent deacons 18, religious 800). The bishop-elect was born in Brunico, Italy in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Karl Gosler, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Msgr. Gilson Andrade da Silva of the clergy of the diocese of Petropolis, Brazil, rector of the diocesan seminary "Nossa Senhora do Amor Divino", as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Salvador da Bahia (area 3,859, population 3,210,878, Catholics 2,284,477, priests 283, permanent deacons 93, religious 1,070), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1991.
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FUNERAL MASS FOR CARDINAL VIRGILIO NOE

VATICAN CITY, 26 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning at the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided at a funeral Mass for Cardinal Virgilio Noe who died on 24 July at the age of 89. The Mass was concelebrated by a number of cardinals, archbishops and bishops.

  Cardinal Noe had been archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, vicar general of the Pope for Vatican City State and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 26 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Bishop Luc Cyr of Valleyfield, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Sherbrooke (area 8,000, population 338,000, Catholics 304.000, priests 261, permanent deacons 24, religious 951), Canada. He succeeds Archbishop Andre Gaumond, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Antonino Raspanti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Trapani, Italy, professor of the history of spirituality at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. John the Evangelist in Palermo, Italy, as bishop of Acireale (area 665, population 228,500, Catholics 225,200, priests 168, permanent deacons 9, religious 332), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Alcamo, Italy in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1982. He succeeds Bishop Pio Vittorio Vigo, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the apostolic vicariate of Izabal, Guatemala, presented by Bishop Gabriel Penate Rodriguez, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

 - Appointed Bishop Mario Enrique Rios Montt C.M., auxiliary emeritus of the archdiocese of Guatemala, Guatemala, as apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of of the apostolic vicariate of Izabal, Guatemala.
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MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE FOR VICTIMS OF NORWAY ATTACKS

VATICAN CITY, 23 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a message of condolence, in the name of Benedict XVI, to King Harald V of Norway for the recent terrorist attacks that took place in that country.

  The Pope expresses his profound sadness at the great loss of life caused by the explosion of a car bomb in Oslo and the shootings at a youth camp on the island of Utoya.

  The English-language message continues by saying that Benedict XVI "offers fervent prayers for the victims and their families, invoking God's peace upon the dead and divine consolation upon those who suffer. At this time of national grief he prays that all Norwegians will be spiritually united in a determined resolve to reject the ways of hatred and conflict and to work together fearlessly in shaping a future of mutual respect, solidarity and freedom for coming generations".

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CELEBRATION OF 375TH ANNIVERSARY OF PATRON OF COSTA RICA

VATICAN CITY, 23 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope, written in Latin and dated 12 July, in which he appoints Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, as his special envoy to the closing celebrations of the Jubilee Year for the 375th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of the Angeles, patron of Costa Rica. The event is due to be held in the Costa Rican city of Cartago on 2 August.

  The cardinal will be accompanied on his mission by Fr. Mario Quiros Quiros, formator and spiritual director of the national seminary of "Nuestra Senora de los Angeles", and by Fr. Jose Francisco Arias Salguero, chancellor of the diocesan Curia and judge of the national ecclesiastical tribunal of Costa Rica.
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