Vatican City, 12 May 2016 – The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Neri Menor Vargas, O.F.M. as bishop of Huánuco (area 45,000, population 986,470, Catholics 887,823, priests 54, permanent deacons 21, religious 80), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Pacopampa, Peru in 1960, gave his religious vows in 1998 and was ordained a priest in 2000. He has served in a number of roles, including Guardian of the Fraternity, provincial definitor and secretary for formation and studies and master of Franciscan students in Lima and in Cuzco, parish priest, vicar forane and member of the presbyteral council of the archdiocese of Arequipa. He is currently provincial minister of the "Los XII Apóstoles" Franciscan province in Peru. He succeeds Bishop Jaime Rodríguez Salazar, M.C.C.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.