OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Msgr. Roberto Busti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Milan, provost of Lecco, as bishop of Mantova (area 2,080, population 366,789, Catholics 344,083, priests 233, religious 389), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Busto Arsizio, Italy in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1964. He succeeds Bishop Egidio Caporello, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Mario Delpini, episcopal vicar for pastoral zone 4 (Melegnano) in the archdiocese of Milan, Italy, and Msgr. Franco Giulio Brambilla, president of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy, as auxiliaries of Milan (area 4,217, population 5,191,510, Catholics 4,913,510, priests 3,011, permanent deacons 82, religious 8,122). Bishop-elect Delpini was born in Gallarate, Italy in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1975. Bishop-elect Brambilla was born in Missaglia, Italy in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975.
NER:NEA/.../...                            VIS 20070713 (170)OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Msgr. Roberto Busti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Milan, provost of Lecco, as bishop of Mantova (area 2,080, population 366,789, Catholics 344,083, priests 233, religious 389), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Busto Arsizio, Italy in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1964. He succeeds Bishop Egidio Caporello, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Mario Delpini, episcopal vicar for pastoral zone 4 (Melegnano) in the archdiocese of Milan, Italy, and Msgr. Franco Giulio Brambilla, president of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy, as auxiliaries of Milan (area 4,217, population 5,191,510, Catholics 4,913,510, priests 3,011, permanent deacons 82, religious 8,122). Bishop-elect Delpini was born in Gallarate, Italy in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1975. Bishop-elect Brambilla was born in Missaglia, Italy in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975.
NER:NEA/.../...                            VIS 20070713 (170)

PAPAL LETTER FOR FEAST OF PATRON OF ITALIAN FOREST RANGERS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Benedict XVI to Bishop Maffeo Ducoli, emeritus of Belluno-Feltre, Italy, for yesterday's Feast of St. John Gualbert, patron of the Italian Forest Rangers.

  Yesterday, in the church of the Virgin of the Snows at Pra Mirino, Bishop Ducoli presided at a Eucharistic concelebration attended by members of the Forest Rangers from the provincial headquarters of Belluno. That ceremony, writes the Pope in his Letter, "has particular significance this year because it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the visit my predecessor John Paul II made to that church, so beloved by the inhabitants of this splendid region."

  "This is an appropriate occasion for me to express my appreciation and affection for the Forest Rangers, certain that they will seek to undertake their activities in a spirit of service so as to remain close to the people and to protect as best they can the richness of nature, which is a gift from God to everyone."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 12, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien, military ordinary for the U.S.A., as metropolitan archbishop of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 3,055,477, Catholics 517,679, priests 545, permanent deacons 178, religious 1,380), U.S.A. He succeeds Cardinal William Henry Keeler, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
NER:RE/.../O'BRIEN:KEELER                    VIS 20070712 (70)

MESSAGE FROM POPE FOR A CONCERT ORGANIZED IN HIS HONOR

VATICAN CITY, JUL 12, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to the pastor of Lorenzago di Cadore, the alpine resort in which the pope is currently spending a vacation. The message concerns a concert organized in his honor yesterday, Feast of St. Benedict.

  In the Message, which was read out yesterday evening in the parish church at the start of the concert, the Pope expresses his thanks for "the welcome I was shown when I arrived in this beautiful place surrounded by magnificent woods and the majestic Dolomite Mountains.

  "I am especially grateful," he adds, "for people's expression of best wishes for a fruitful period of rest, much appreciated because supported by prayer upon which I depend in order to accomplish the mission the Lord has entrusted to me."

  Referring to the concert and to the presentation of an exhibition dedicated to "artistic treasures in the churches of the Alto Bellunese region," to honor "St. Benedict, patron saint of Europe on his feast day," the Pope expresses his gratitude to the musician Jose Luis Gonzalez Uriol for the recital in which he will play the church's "historic organ ... recently restored." He also thanks the members of the "Schola Cantorum" of Lorenzago, recalling St. Augustine's phrase that "one who sings prays twice."

  Benedict XVI concludes his brief Message by giving assurances of his "spiritual participation" in the event and sending the community of Lorenzago di Cadore his "cordial and affectionate greetings."
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PROTECT RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2007 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a speech delivered by Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, during the Global Forum on Migration and Development, held in Brussels, Belgium from July 9 to 11.

  Speaking English, the archbishop recalled how "migrants contribute to their host country's well-being, and also because of this their human dignity must be respected and their freedoms guaranteed: the right to a dignified life, to fair treatment at work, to have access to education, health and other social benefits, to grow in competence and develop humanly, to freely manifest their culture and practice their religion.

  "But rights and duties go together," he added. "Therefore, at the same time, migrants have the duty to respect the identity and the laws of the country of residence, strive for proper integration (not assimilation) into the host society and learn its language. They are to foster esteem and respect for their host country, even to the point of loving and defending it.

  "Unfortunately, among them there are immigrants in an irregular situation, who, however, independently of their legal status, have inalienable human dignity. Therefore their rights must be safeguarded and not ignored or violated. An irregular migration status, in fact, does not mean criminality. The solution is better international cooperation that discourages irregularity, with increased legal channels for migration."

  Archbishop Marchetto concluded his talk by renewing the call made by the Pope in his Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees for "governments who have not yet done so, to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and the Members of their Families."
CON-SM/MIGRATION:DEVELOPMENT/MARCHETTO    VIS 20070711 (300)