OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 2 JUN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Hlib Lonchyna M.S.U., curial bishop of the major archbishopric of Kyiv-Halyc, Ukraine, as apostolic exarch for Ukrainian faithful of Byzantine rite resident in Great Britain.

- Appointed Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli, apostolic nuncio to France, as penitentiary major of the Apostolic Penitentiary. He succeeds Cardinal James Francis Stafford, whose resignation from the same office the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

NA:RE/.../... VIS 20090602 (80)

CELEBRATIONS AND TRIPS OF THE POPE: JUNE - SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUN 2009 (VIS) - Given below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father, and his trips, between the months of June and September.

JUNE

- Thursday 11: Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Mass at 7 p.m. in the basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by a procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Eucharistic blessing.

- Friday 19: Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Vespers at 6 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica for the opening of the Year for Priests.

- Sunday 21: Pastoral visit to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

- Sunday 28: At 6 p.m. in the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, First Vespers for the closing of the Pauline Year.

- Monday 29: Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. Mass at 9.30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica. Blessing and imposition of the pallium on new metropolitan archbishops.

AUGUST

- Saturday 15: Solemnity of the Assumption. Mass at 8 a.m. in the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castelgandolfo.

SEPTEMBER

- Sunday 6: Pastoral visit to Viterbo-Bagnoregio, Italy.

- Saturday 26 - Monday 28: Apostolic trip to the Czech Republic.

OCL/CELEBRATIONS JUNE SEPTEMBER/... VIS 20090601 (210)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Anthony Ademu Adaji M.S.P., auxiliary of Idah, Nigeria, as bishop of the same diocese (area 12,898, population 1,465,000, Catholics 202,069, priests 55, religious 207).

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Rome, presented by Bishop Enzo Dieci, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Guerino Di Tora of the clergy of the diocese of Rome, director of diocesan Caritas, and Msgr. Giuseppe Marciante of the clergy of the diocese of Rome, pastor of the parish of San Romano Martire, as auxiliaries of the diocese or Rome (area 881, population 2,809,000, Catholics 2,473,000, priests 5,936, permanent deacons 110, religious 28,347), respectively for the northern and eastern pastoral sectors. Bishop-elect Di Tora was born in Rome in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1971. Bishop-elect Marciante was born in Catania, Italy in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1980.

NER:RE:NEA/.../... VIS 20090601 (170)

HOLY FATHER RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Viktor Yushchenko, president of Ukraine. Subsequently the president, accompanied by Volodymyr Khandogiy, his ad interim foreign minister, went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"During the cordial discussions attention focused on the international situation. At the bilateral level, the good relations between Ukraine and the Holy See were noted with pleasure, as were the prospects for increased collaboration in the cultural and social fields. While expressing the desire to find equitable solutions to outstanding questions between State and Church, mention was also made of the Catholic Church's contribution to Ukrainian society for education in Christian values and their diffusion, and of the importance of dialogue among Christians in order to promote unity, while respecting everyone and with the aim of peaceful coexistence".

OP/AUDIENCE/UKRAINE VIS 20090601 (180)

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JUNE

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUN 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for June is: "That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt"

His mission intention is: "That the particular Churches operating in regions marked by violence may be sustained by the love and concrete closeness of all the Catholics in the world".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/JUNE/... VIS 20090601 (80)