Vatican City, 8 June 2016 – The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Francisco de Sales Alencar Batista, O. Carm., as bishop of Cajazeiras (area 14,718, population 580,220, Catholics 538,228, priests 71, religious 70), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Araripina, Brazil in 1968, gave his religious vows in 1988, and was ordained a priest in 1995. He holds a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Teresianum Institute of Spirituality, Rome, and has served in a number of roles including formator for philosophy students, rector of the Basilica of Carmine in Recife, parish priest, provincial counsellor and prior of the Carmelite Province of Pernambuco, and deputy prior of the Community of the "Sant'Alberto" International College in Rome. He is currently secretary general of his Order in Rome.