News from the Holy See News from the Holy See
Christus Rex Information ServiceVATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 1996 (VIS) - Coinciding with the 15th anniversary of its institution, the Pontifical Council for the Family has just published a magazine called "Familia et Vita", which substitutes the information bulletin of the same name that it has put out since the beginning of its activities and which includes more information.
The new magazine, to be published three times a year, contains: an editorial (in Italian and English), articles (in the original language with summaries in Italian, English, French and Spanish), documentation (in Italian and English), and news from the Council (in Italian and English). The first issue is dedicated to reflections by experts on the dicastery's recent document titled "Human Sexuality: Truth and Meaning. Educational Orientations in the Family."
VATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 1996 (VIS) - The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples has just released statistics which show that, of the Catholic Church's 2,679 ecclesiastical territories worldwide, 999 circumscriptions are dependent on this congregation.
Under the congregation's care are 163 archdioceses (Africa 75, America 6, Asia 67, Europe 4, Oceania 11); 710 dioceses (Africa 341, America 25, Asia 307, Europe 7, Oceania 30); 68 apostolic vicariates (Africa 11, America 43, Asia 14); 44 apostolic prefectures (Africa 4, America 7, Asia 32, Oceania 1); 8 "sui iuris" missions (Africa 3, America 1, Asia 2, Oceania 2); 3 territorial abbacies (1 each in Africa, Asia and Europe); 3 apostolic administrations (Africa 1, Asia 2).
Church personnel dependent on the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is as follows: 144 archbishops; 588 bishops; 69 apostolic vicars; 11 apostolic prefects; 8 superiors; 5 coadjutor archbishops; 19 coadjutor bishops; 49 auxiliary bishops and 237 archbishops or bishops emeritus or titular, for a total of 1,130.
VATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 1996 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Cardinal Henri Schwery, bishop emeritus of Sion, Switzerland, as his special envoy to the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the apparition of "Notre Dame de la Salette," to be held next September 19.
- Nominated Bishop George Pell as metropolitan archbishop of Melbourne (area 27,194, population 3,270,000, Catholics 989,000, priests 648, religious 2,082), Australia. The archbishop-elect was born in Ballarat, Australia, in 1941, was ordained a priest in 1966 and bishop in 1987. Until now he has been auxiliary of this see. He succeeds Archbishop Thomas Francis Little, whose resignation was accepted by the Pope in conformity with canon 401, paragraph 2 of the C.I.C.
- Nominated Bishop Henri Groudreault, O.M.I., of Labrador City-Schefferville as metropolitan archbishop of Grouard-McLennan (area 224,596, population 123,600, Catholics 40,715, priests 30, religious 65), Canada. He succeeds Archbishop Henri Legare, O.M.I., whose resignation was accepted by the Pope on having reached the age limit.
- Nominated Fr. Thomas Kozhimala as bishop of Bhagalpur (area 40,000, population 12,222,000, Catholics 53,000, priests 81, religious 320), India. The bishop-elect was born in Kanjirapally, India, in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1970. Since 1989 he has been rector of the Regional Minor Seminary of St. John in Champanagar.
- Nominated Fr. Gilberto Jimenez Narvaez as bishop of Riohacha (area 19,037, population 221,000, Catholics 195,000, priests 28, religious 76), Colombia. The bishop-elect, of the clergy of Sonson-Rionegro, was born in Abejorral, Colombia, in 1937 and was ordained a priest in 1963. Until now he has been director of the Department of Pastoral Ministry for the Hierarchical Ministries of the Permanent Secretariat of the Colombian Episcopate.
- Erected the diocese of Neyyattinkara (area 1,513, population 1,321,524, Catholics 122,783, priests 59, religious 184), India, with territory taken from the diocese of Trivandrum, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan Church of Verapoly. He nominated Fr. Vincent Samuel of the clergy of Trivandrum as the first bishop of the new see. The bishop-elect was born in Arayoor, India, in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1975. Since 1989 he has been a professor at the Pontifical Seminary of St. Joseph in Alwaye and since 1994 he has been vice rector.
- Elevated the "sui iuris" mission of Kano to the rank of apostolic vicariate, keeping the same name and territorial configuration (area 48,400, population 5,668,000, Catholics 34,000, priests 20, religious 14), Nigeria. He nominated Bishop Patrick Francis Sheehan, O.S.A., of Yola as its apostolic vicar.
- Nominated Bishop Christopher S. Abba of Minna as bishop of Yola (area 34,850, population 1,500,000, Catholics 89,358, priests 27, religious 33), Nigeria.
- Nominated Fr. Martin Uzoukwu of the clergy of Ilorin as bishop of Minna (area 74,244, population 3,118,000, Catholics 97,525, priests 31, religious 23), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Ozubulu, Nigeria in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1981. Until now he has been rector of the Interdiocesan Propedeutic Seminary in Eruku, Nigeria.
- Erected the apostolic vicariate of Bauchi (area 64,605, population 4,700,000, Catholics 60,000, priests 10, religious 6), Nigeria, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jos. He nominated Fr. John Moore, S.M.A., as its first apostolic vicar. The bishop-elect was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1942 and was ordained a priest in 1965. From 1983 to 1989 he was superior of the Society of African Missions in Jos.
LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy -- Carrying a bag lunch of fruit and sandwiches, Pope John Paul II hiked for 1.2 miles in the mountains Monday and told villagers he felt fine.
The pope, on a two-week vacation in the Dolomite mountains in northern Italy, has had to scale back his activities in recent years following operations and illness.
But the 75-year-old pontiff appeared fit while hiking along trails at an altitude of 5,940 feet, Vatican officials told reporters.
When villagers asked how he felt, the pope replied: "Good, good," the ANSA news agency reported.
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