 Vatican Radio REPORT-SHARE- 2,351,200 pilgrims attended audiences or celebrations with the Pope at the Vatican during 2012. The figures were released this week by the Prefecture of the Papal Household. A breakdown of the figures showed that 447,000 pilgrims attended the Pope’s general audiences, whilst around 1,256,000 attended the Angelus prayers in St Peter’s Square or in his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. A further 501,000 attended liturgical celebrations presided over by the Pope and over 146,000 attended private papal audiences. The figures showed that since Pope Benedict's election to the papacy in 2005, more than 20.5 million pilgrims have attended papal events in the Vatican or at his summer residence. (SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA)
CARDINAL POUPARD, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO LYONS
Vatican City, 3 January 2013 (VIS) - In a letter made public yesterday the Holy Father nominated Cardinal Paul Poupard, emeritus president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, as his special envoy at the concluding celebrations of the Jubilee Year dedicated to the Venerable Servant of God Pauline Jaricot, the 150th anniversary of her death and the 50th anniversary of the decree of her heroic virtues, to be held in Lyons on 9 January 2013.
The cardinal special envoy will be accompanied by a mission composed of the following members: Msgr. Francois Duthel, postulator of the cause of beatification of the Servant of God Pauline Jaricot, and Fr. Daniel Carnot, ex superior general of the Society of African Missions.
|
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 3 January 2013 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Msgr. David P. Talley of the clergy of Atlanta, U.S.A, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese (area 55,521, population 6,998,399, Catholics 857,000, priests 228, permanent deacons 242, religious 125), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Columbus, U.S.A. in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles. He was named prelate of honour by his Holiness in 2000.
- Appointed Msgr. Stephen Jensen, vicar general of Vancouver, Canada, as bishop of Prince George (area 345,600, population 249,000, Catholics 54,600, priests 18, religious 23), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in North Vancouver, Canada in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1980. He was named prelate of honour in 1996 and since 2009 has been vicar general, dean of the Presbyteral Council and diocesan consultor for the archdiocese. He succeeds Bishop Gerald Wiesner, O.M.I., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. |
TELEGRAM TO CARDINAL GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE
Vatican City, 29 December 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday Benedict XVI sent a telegram of condolence to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops, on the death of his father Matteo Re at the age of 104 years.
In the text, the Pope expressed his closeness to the cardinal's family and imparted upon all the light of faith and hope in Christ.
"Having learned of the death of your beloved father Matteo, I wish to express my most heartfelt condolences for the deep mourning that has befallen you and your family and assure you of my spiritual closeness in this hour of your sorrow, together with giving thanks to God for all the benefits bestowed upon your late father over his more than one hundred year earthly journey. While I offer fervent prayers to the Lord beseeching that he be welcomed into the eternal joy, I invoke the light of faith and hope in Christ for your family, and impart to you all a special apostolic blessing of comfort". |
|
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 2 January 2013 (VIS) - On Saturday, 29 December, the Holy Father:
- appointed Fr. William Goh, rector of the Major Seminary of Singapore, as coadjutor archbishop of Singapore (area 699, population 5,000,000, Catholics 190,000, priests 131, religious 152). The archbishop-elect was born in Singapore in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1985. He studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome and has fulfilled pastoral roles in Singapore. He served as professor at the major seminary of Singapore from 1992 to 2005, and as rector from 2005.
- erected the new diocese of Gboko (area 10,692, population 1,690,000, Catholics 896,860, priests 80, religious 29), Nigeria, with territory taken from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the archdiocese of Abuja. He appointed Bishop William Avenya, auxiliary of Makurdi, Nigeria, as first bishop of the new diocese.
- erected the new diocese of Katsina-Ala (area 6,465, population 676,000, Catholics 338,497, priests 32, religious 8), Nigeria, with territory taken from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the archdiocese of Abuja. He appointed Fr. Peter Iornzuul Adoboh of the clergy of Makurdi as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Tse-Kucha, Nigeria in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1984. He has undertaken studies in spirituality at the Institute of St. Anselm, England and the Toronto School of Theology, Canada, and has fulfilled pastoral roles in Vandeikya, Zaki-Biam, Aliade, Abuja and Adikpo.
On Monday, 31 December, the Holy Father:
- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica, presented by Bishop Oswaldo Brenes Alvarez, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- appointed Msgr. Egidio Turnaturi and the Honorable Dr. Riccardo Turrini Vita as judges of the Vatican City State Court of Appeals. |
|
|
Comments