Pope Benedict XVI resigned as Pope

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) has resigned as Pope (Roma {Rome}, Italy).

The Conclave to elect his successor should begin in the next two to three weeks.

Dinh Duc Dao named Xuân Lôc Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Joseph Dinh Duc Dao was named Auxiliary Bishop of Xuân Lôc, Viêt Nam and titular bishop of Gadiaufala.

Rovai retired, Jofré Giraudo named Villa María Bishop

Bishop José Ángel Rovai retired and Bishop-elect Samuel Jofré Giraudo was named Bishop of Villa María, Argentina.

Kelly resigned as Liverpool Archbishop

Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly resigned as Archbishop of Liverpool, England, Great Britain.

Clifford resigned as Armagh Auxiliary

Bishop Gerard Clifford resigned as Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Ireland.

O’Brien retired as Saint Andrews and Edinburgh Archbishop

Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien retired as Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, Great Britain.

The retirement was announced today but was effective on Monday 18 February 2013.

He has also indicated that he will be unable to participate in the upcoming Conclave.

Blin resigned as Vitebsk Bishop

Bishop Władisław Blin resigned as Bishop of Vitebsk, Belarus.

Sosa Arriaga named Tlapa Bishop

Bishop Dagoberto Sosa Arriaga was named Bishop of Tlapa, Guerrero, México.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Oscar Roberto Domínguez Couttolenc, M.G. was named Bishop of Ecatepec in July 2012.

Bishop Sosa Arriaga had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Puebla de los Ángeles.

Lagnese named Ischia Bishop

Bishop-elect Pietro Lagnese was named Bishop of Ischia, Italy.

The diocese had been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Filippo Strofaldi in July 2012.

Banach and Udaigwe named Nuncios

Archbishop-elect Michael W. Banach and Archbishop-elect Brian Udaigwe were both named Apostolic Nuncios, but without specifying a post. They were also named titular archbishops of Memphis and Suelli, respectively.

Kalenga Badikebele named El Salvador Nuncio

Archbishop Léon Kalenga Badikebele was named Apostolic Nuncio to El Salvador.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto was named Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia-Herzegovina in November 2012.

Archbishop Kalenga Badikebele had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana.

Balestrero named Colombia Nuncio

Archbishop-elect Ettore Balestrero was named Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia and titular archbishop of Victoriana.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop Aldo Cavalli was named Apostolic Nuncio to Malta earlier this month.

Adamczyk named Liberia Nuncio

Archbishop-elect Mirosław Adamczyk was named Apostolic Nuncio to Liberia and titular archbishop of Otriculum.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop George Antonysamy was named Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor), India in November 2012.

Olaverri Arroniz named Pointe-Noire Bishop

Bishop-elect Miguel Angel Olaverri Arroniz, S.D.B. was named Bishop of Pointe-Noire, Congo.

Erected: Puerto Leguízamo-Solano; Pinzón Güiza named Vicar Apostolic

The Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Leguízamo-Solano, Colombia was erected with territory taken from San Vicente-Puerto Leguízamo.

Bishop-elect Joaquím Humberto Pinzón Güiza, I.M.C. was named its first Vicar Apostolic and titular bishop of Ottocium.

Marchesi named Floresta Bishop

Bishop-elect Gabriele Marchesi was named Bishop of Floresta, Pernambuco, Brazil.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Adriano Ciocca Vasino was named Prelate of São Félix, Mato Grosso in March 2012.

Guimarães Moreira resigned, Gubiotti named Itabira-Fabriciano Bishop

Bishop Odilon Guimarães Moreira resigned and Bishop-elect Marco Aurélio Gubiotti was named Bishop of Itabira-Fabriciano, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Sigampa retired, Dus named Resistencia Archbishop

Archbishop Fabriciano Sigampa retired and Archbishop-designate Ramón Alfredo Dus was named Archbishop of Resistencia, Argentina.

Archbishop-designate Dus had been serving as Bishop of Reconquista.

D’Annibale named Río Gallegos Bishop

Bishop Miguel Ángel D’Annibale was named Bishop of Río Gallegos, Argentina.

The diocese had been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Juan Carlos Romanin, S.D.B. in April 2012.

Bishop D’Annibale had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of the same diocese.

Antoniazzi named Tunis Archbishop

Archbishop-elect Ilario Antoniazzi was named Archbishop of Tunis, Tunisia.

The archdiocese had been vacant since Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham was named Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem {Gerusalemme} in January 2012.

Miehm named Hamilton Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Daniel Miehm was named Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and titular bishop of Gor.

Angonese named Curitiba Auxiliary

Bishop-elect José Mário Angonese was named Auxiliary Bishop of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil and titular bishop of Giufi.

Martínez Castilla named Tuxtla Gutiérrez Archbishop

Archbishop-designate Fabio Martínez Castilla was named Archbishop of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México.

The archdiocese had been vacant since Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López was named Archbishop of Monterrey, Nuevo León in October 2012.

Archbishop-designate Martínez Castilla had been serving as Bishop of Ciudad Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán.

Mdoe named Dar-es-Salaam Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Titus Joseph Mdoe was named Auxiliary Bishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and titular bishop of Bahanna.

Cavalli named Malta Nuncio

Archbishop Aldo Cavalli was named Apostolic Nuncio to Malta.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop Tommaso Caputo was named Prelate of Pompei o Beatissima Vergine Maria del Santissimo Rosario) in November 2012.

Archbishop Cavalli had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia.

Rouleau retired, Krótki named Churchill-Baie d’Hudson Bishop

Bishop Reynald Rouleau, O.M.I. retired and Bishop-elect Anthony Wieslaw Krótki, O.M.I. was named Bishop of Churchill-Baie d’Hudson, Manitoba, Canada.

Percerou named Moulins Bishop

Bishop-elect Laurent Percerou was named Bishop of Moulins, France.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Pascal Marie Roland was named Bishop of Belley-Ars in June 2012.

Coyle named USA Military Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Robert J. Coyle was named Auxiliary Bishop of United States of America, Military and titular bishop of Zabi.

Pope Benedict XVI to Resign on 28 February

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) has announced his intention to resign as Pope (Bishop of Roma, Italy) effective on 28 February 2013 at 8pm (local time in Rome).

Buezo Leiva named Izabal Vicar Apostolic

Bishop-elect Domingo Buezo Leiva was named Vicar Apostolic of Izabal, Guatemala and titular bishop of Dardanus.

The post had been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Gabriel Peñate Rodríguez in July 2011.

Di Cristina retired, Pennisi named Monreale Archbishop

Archbishop Salvatore Di Cristina retired and Archbishop-designate Michele Pennisi was named Archbishop of Monreale, Italy

Archbishop-designate Pennisi had been serving as Bishop of Piazza Armerina.

Cametá elevated to Diocese, Vizaurre Berdonces named Bishop

The Territorial Prelature was elevated into the Diocese of Cametá, Para, Brazil.

Bishop Jesús María Cizaurre Berdonces, O.A.R., it's previous ordinary, was named it's first Bishop.

Mamede named Brasilia Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Valdir Mamede was named Auxiliary Bishop of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil and titular bishop of Naissus.

Pérez Rodríguez retired, Juárez Párraga named Sucre Archbishop

Archbishop Jesús Gervasio Pérez Rodríguez, O.F.M. retired and Archbishop-designate Jesús Juárez Párraga, S.D.B. was named Archbishop of Sucre, Bolivia.

Archbishop-designate Juárez Párraga had been serving as Bishop of El Alto.

Ghabroyan retired, Teyrouz named Sainte-Croix-de-Paris Bishop

Bishop Grégoire (Krikor) Ghabroyan, I.C.P.B. retired and Bishop Jean Teyrouz, I.C.P.B. was named Bishop of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris (Armenian), France.


Bishop Teyrouz had been serving as Curial Bishop of Cilicia, Lebanon.

Ukpo retired, Ekuwem named Calabar Archbishop

Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo retired and Archbishop-designate Joseph Effiong Ekuwem was named Archbishop of Calabar, Nigeria.

Archbishop-designate Ekuwem had been serving as Bishop of Uyo.

Galvan Flores named Corocoro Prelate

Bishop-elect Percy Lorenzo Galvan Flores was named Prelate of Corocoro, Bolivia.

Casey retired, Coter named Pando Vicar Apostolic

Bishop Luis Morgan Casey retired and Bishop-elect Eugenio Coter was named Vicar Apostolic of Pando, Bolivia and titular bishop of Thibiuca.

Blume named Uganda Nuncio

Archbishop Michael August Blume, S.V.D. was named Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam was named Apostolic Nuncio to Thailand.

Archbishop Blume had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Benin and to Togo.

Aupetit named Paris Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Michel Aupetit was named Auxiliary Bishop of Paris, France and titular bishop of Maxita.

Sako confirmed as Chaldean Patriarch

Patriarch-designate Louis Raphaël I Sako was confirmed as Patriarch of Babylon {Babilonia} (Chaldean), Iraq and Archbishop of Baghdad.

He replaces Patriarch Emmanuel III (Emmanuel-Karim) Delly who retired in December 2012.

Patriarch-designate Sako had been serving as Archbishop of Kerkūk.