Vatican City, 24 June 2016 – The Holy Father:

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of the Latins, presented by His Beatitude Fouad Twal, upon reaching the age limit.

- appointed Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., as apostolic administrator sede vacante of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of the Latins (Catholics 293,053, priests 464, permanent deacons 9, religious 1,612), in Palestine, Jordan and the Island of Cyprus, elevating him at the same time to the dignity of archbishop. Archbishop Pizzaballa was born in Cologno al Serio, Italy in 1965, gave his religious vows in 1989, and was ordained a priest in 1990. He holds a Bachelors degree in theology from the Pontifical Antonianum University, Rome, and completed his studies in the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem. He subsequently served as professor of biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical and Archaeological Sciences of Jerusalem. He began his service in the Custody of the Holy Land in 1999 and in 2011 was appointed as Guardian of the Convent of Sts. Simeon and Anna in Jersualem. He served as patriarchal vicar from 2003 to 2008. The General Definitorium appointed him as Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion in 2004, a role he fulfilled until April this year.

- appointed Bishop Basilio Athai as archbishop of Taunggyi (area 14,980, population 1,745,000, Catholics 6,773, priests 37, religious 81), Myanmar. Bishop Athai is currently auxiliary of the same archdiocese.

- appointed Fr. Domenico Battaglia as bishop of Cerreto Sannità – Telese – Sant'Agata de' Goti (area 583, population 91,385, Catholics 89,720, priests 72, permanent deacons 2, religious 95), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Satriano, Italy in 1963 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He has served in a number of pastoral roles in the archdiocese of Catanzaro, including parish administrator, director of the diocesan office for "Missionary Cooperation between Churches", parish priest and national president of the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities. He is currently canon of the Cathedral of Catanzaro and president of the Calabrese Centre for Solidarity. He succeeds Bishop Michele De Rosa, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.

- appointed Fr. Ryan Jimenez as bishop of Chalan Kanoa, Saipan (area 184, population 71,850, Catholics 43,000, priests 15, religious 21), Northern Mariana Islands. The bishop-elect was born in Dumaguete City, Philippines in 1971, and was ordained a priest in 2003. He holds a Masters degree from St. Patrick's Seminary and University, California, USA, and has served in a number of pastoral roles including parish vicar, special secretary to the bishop of Chalan Kanoa, rector of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, president of the diocesan commission for the cultural heritage of the Church, and diocesan chancellor. He is currently apostolic administrator of the same diocese.

- appointed Msgr. Carmelo Zammit as bishop of Gibraltar (area 6, population 29,431, Catholics 23,495, priests 8, religious 2), United Kingdom. The bishop-elect was born in Gudja, Malta in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1974. He holds a Bachelors Degree in philosophy, Italian and economics and a licentiate in theology from the University of Malta, and a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral roles in Gibraltar, including judicial vicar, episcopal delegate for Catholic education, school chaplain and parish priest. Upon returning to Malta in 1998, he became chancellor of the archdiocese and judge in the ecclesiastical tribunal. He is currently canon of the Metropolitan Chapter and judicial vicar.

- appointed Msgr. Anthony Randazzo and Fr. Richard James Umbers as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Sydney (area 1,264, population 2,567,000, Catholics 621,000, priests 445, permanent deacons 3, religious 1,359), Australia.

Bishop-elect Randazzo was born in Sydney, Australia in 1966, and was ordained a priest in 1991. He holds a Bachelors degree in theology from the Brisbane College of Theology and a licentiate in canon law and a diploma in law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar, auditor of the regional tribunal of the province of Brisbane, parish priest, director of vocations, adjunct judicial vicar, executive member of the presbyteral council, official of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and rector of the Holy Spirit seminary in Brisbane. He is currently judge of the National Appeal Tribunal of the Catholic Church of Australia and New Zealand, and assistant to the archbishop of Brisbane. In 2007 he was named Chaplain of His Holiness.

Bishop-elect Umbers was born in Otahuhu, New Zealand in 1971, became a member of Opus Dei in 1990, and was ordained a priest in 2002. He holds a licentiate and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Navarra, Spain, and has served in a number of roles including chaplain of the Redfield College, official in the regional commission of the Prelature of Opus Dei in Australia, teacher of ethics and philosophy in the Notre Dame University of Sydney, spiritual director of the Notre Dame St. Thomas More Society and the Good Shepherd seminary, Strathfield. He is currently chaplain of Warrane Collage f the University of New South Walkes, member of the Organising Committee of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, representative for Sydney at the St. John of God Hospitals, and representative of the archbishop in the presbyteral committee.

- appointed Msgr. Francis Assisi Chullikatt, apostolic nuncio in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, as apostolic nuncio in Kyrgyzstan.

- appointed Francis Leo Delmonico, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and director of the New England Organ Bank, USA, and Cédric Villani, professor of mathematics at the University of Lyon and director of the Institut Henri Poincaré (UPMC/CNRS), Paris, France, as ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.