Other Pontifical Acts

Fr. Theodorus van Ruijven C.M., apostolic prefect of Jimma-Bonga, Ethiopia, and apostolic administrator of Nekemte, Ethiopia, as apostolic vicar of Nekemte (area 98,972, population 6,501,000, Catholics 45,000, priests 32, religious 48). The bishop-elect was born in Rijswijk, Holland in 1938 and ordained a priest in 1964. - Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, apostolic nuncio to Angola and to Sao Tome e Principe, as apostolic nuncio to Cuba.

POPE TO PRESIDE AT VESPERS IN THE CATHEDRAL OF AOSTA

Tomorrow evening, Friday 24 July, Benedict XVI will preside at the celebration of Vespers in the cathedral of Aosta, Italy.

The Holy Father will cross the city centre by popemobile before moving on to the cathedral. The ceremony there is due to be attended by some 400 people including priests, religious, two lay people from each of Aosta's ninety-three parishes, and representatives from diocesan offices and ecclesial organisations.

Following Vespers of the day in Italian and in French, the Holy Father will pronounce a homily. At the end of the ceremony he will emerge onto the cathedral's balcony to bless other faithful present. On his return journey to his holiday villa at Les Combes, he will stop to greet elderly people at the old people's home of Introd.

Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., who is at Les Combes, has announced that Benedict XVI "is well and in good spirits. He is using a tape recorder to dictate his ideas as he finds it difficult to wield a pen, his right hand being in plaster because of his broken wrist".

Fr. Lombardi also indicated that the Holy Father takes two daily walks near the chalet in which he is staying, one after lunch and the other in the evening.

Yesterday the Holy Father received Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. They attended to certain pressing matters then had lunch together.

The Holy See Press Office Director also explained that Benedict XVI "makes regular phone calls to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger who, in a few day's time, will travel to Castelgandolfo to spend four weeks with the Pope".

Other Pontifical Acts

Appointed Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado of Mindelo, Cape Verde, as bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde (area 1,803, population 345,000, Catholics 327,750, priests 40, religious 105), Cape Verde. He succeeds Bishop Paulino Do Livramento Evora C.S.Sp., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the prelature of Coari, Brazil, presented by Bishop Joercio Goncalves Pereira C.SS.R., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

CONGRESSES AND MEETINGS ON "CARITAS IN VERITATE"

"Beyond the ideology of crisis. Development, ethics and the market in 'Caritas in veritate'" was the theme of a congress organised by the Magna Charta Foundation to study the Pope's recent Encyclical. The congress, held yesterday, 21 July, in the Roman church of Santa Marta, was attended by, among others, Archbishop-bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi of Trieste, Italy, and Maurizio Sacconi, Italian minister for social affairs and employment.

Also as part of initiatives to promote Benedict XVI's third Encyclical, at 6 p.m. this evening at the St. Pius X auditorium in Rome a meeting will be held on the theme "'Caritas in veritate', an Encyclical for understanding the future". Among those participating in the event will be Archbishop Rino Fisichella, rector of the Pontifical Lateran University and president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and Giulio Tremonti, Italian finance minister. The meeting has been organised by the Congregation of Sons of the Immaculate Conception and by the ELEA company.

Other Pontifical Acts

The Holy Father appointed Bishop Jose Romero Orquejo Lazo of Kalibo, Philippines, as bishop of San Jose de Antique (area 2,552, population 552,000, Catholics 390,000, priests 40, religious 85), Philippines.

PAPAL GREETING TO TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLISTS

Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. has announced that the Pope sends his greetings to cyclists participating in the Tour de France, who today are scheduled to pass near the Italian alpine town of Introd where the Holy Father is spending a holiday. "For the occasion of the passage of the Tour de France in the Valle d'Aosta, the Holy Father (who is spending some days at Les Combes near Introd) addresses his cordial greetings to all the athletes and to the organisers of the race, at the same time extending his thoughts to all sports men and women currently involved in various activities and competitions. His hope is that involvement in sport may contribute to the integral development of the person, and that it may never be separated from respect for moral and educational values".

Other Pontifical Acts

Bishop Jose Manuel Lorca Planes of Teruel y Albarracin, Spain, as bishop of Cartagena (area 11,319, population 1,392,117, Catholics 1,230,910, priests 508, religious 1,052), Spain.

Msgr. Giovanni Carru, under secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, at the same time making him secretary of that pontifical commission.

Fabrizio Bisconti, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, as archaeological superintendent for the catacombs.