Vatican City, 16 April 2016 – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops and president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, as his special envoy at the 11th National Eucharistic Congress of Argentina which, on the bicentenary of Independence, will be celebrated in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán from 16 to 19 June 2016.
- gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Alexandria of the Copts of Fr. Khaled Ayad Bishay as eparchial bishop of Luqsor, Thebes (Catholics 18,750, priests 32, permanent deacons 3, religious 89), Egypt. The bishop-elect, who has assumed the name Emmanuel, was born in Kom Gharg, Egypt in 1972 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He holds a degree in moral theology from the Alphonsianum Pontifical Academy, Rome, and a degree in Oriental canon law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome. He has served in a number of ministries, including professor of moral theology, teacher at the major seminary of Maadi, and parish priest of the Cathedral of the eparchy of Sohag. He is currently an official of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
- appointed Fr. Jaime Cristóbal Abril González as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Nueva Pamplona (area 6,571, population 226,500, Catholics 216,100, priests 81, religious 80), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in El Espino, Colombia in 1972 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He holds a degree in liturgy from the Pontifical St. Anselm Athenaeum, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar, chaplain and professor at the "Armando Solano" College, Tunja, parish administrator, teacher in the major seminary, archdiocesan vocational promoter, and director of the department of liturgy of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia. He is currently pastor of the Cathedral.
- appointed Fr. Angelo Pagano, O.F.M. Cap., as apostolic vicar of Harar (area 260,000, population 6,613,000, Catholics 21,760, priests 24, religious 56), Ethiopia. The bishop-elect was born in 1954 in Asmara, Eritrea, gave his religious vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish viccar, parish priest, president of the Capuchin Conference of West Africa, member of the presbyteral council of the diocese of Kumbo, vice-provincial of the vice-province of Ethiopia, and superior of the Capuchin custodian chapter in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He is currently project manager of the Capuchin custodian chapter in Cameroon and parish priest. He succeeds Bishop Woldetensaé Ghebreghioghis, O.F.M. Cap., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Fr. Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, O.F.M., as apostolic vicar of Istanbul (Catholics 15,650, priests 42, religious 80 ), Turkey, and apostolic administrator of the exarchate for faithful of Byzantine rite. The bishop-elect was born in Cortázar, Mexico in 1952, gave his religious vows in 1977, and was ordained a priest in 1985. He holds a degree in sacred scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral and academic roles, including formator in the Franciscan seminary, professor of sacred scripture and master of students of theology at the St. Anthony Seminary, El Paso, U.S.A., rector of the Pontifical University Antonianum, Rome, and parish priest. He is currently delegate vicar of the apostolic vicariate of Istanbul. He succeeds Bishop Louis Pelâtre, A.A., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Fr. Jaime Uriel Sanabria Arias as apostolic vicar of San Andrés y Providencia (area 52, population 96,000, Catholics 66,500, priest 15, religious 12), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Ciénaga-Boyacá, Colombia in 1970 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He has served as parish vicar, parish priest, director of the Department of Youth of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia and episcopal vicar for pastoral action of the archdiocese of Tunja. He is currently pastor of the parish of "Señor de los Milagros de San Pedro". He succeeds Bishop Eulises González Sánchez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
