Vatican City, 25 June 2016 – The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Roger Houngbedji, O.P., as archbishop of Cotonou (area 3,233, population 2,540,800, Catholics 819,000, priests 306, religious 709), Benin. The archbishop-elect was born in Porto-Novo, Benin in 1963, and was ordained a priest in 1992. He holds a licentiate in theology from the Catholic Institute of West Africa and a degree in biblical theology from the University of Fribourg, and has served in a number of offices, including master of students in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and in Yaoundé, Cameroon, regional prior of the regional vicariate of West Africa and vice-provincial of the vice-province of West Africa. He is currently lecturer at the Catholic University of West Africa in Abidjan, and at the Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas Institute in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, and president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Côte d'Ivoire. He succeeds Bishop Antoine Ganyé, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Fr. Oswaldo Patricio Ventimilla Caberra as bishop of Azogues (area 4,515, population 235,000, Catholics 230,000, priests 42, religious 73), Ecuador. The bishop-elect was born in Cuenca, Ecuador, in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He has served in various roles including chaplain of educational centres linked to the Catholic University of Cuenca, religious assistant to the contemplative monasteries of the Conceptionist, Franciscans and Carmelite nuns, master of ceremonies at the cathedral, episcopal vicar for indigenous pastoral ministry, professor in the major seminary, member of the planning board for the Catholic University, and pastor of various parishes. He is currently parish priest of Espíritu Santo en Baños.
- Fr. Bhagyaiah Chinnabathini as bishop of Guntur (area 12,803, population 6,225,000), Catholics 218,960, religious 845), India. The bishop-elect was born in 1956 in Motakondour-Yadarigutta Mandal, India, and was ordained a priest in 1983. He holds Masters degrees in letters from Osmania University and in education from Annamalai University. He has served in a number of pastoral roles including parish assistant and pastor of various parishes, parish vicar and parish priest in Germany, and parish assistant in Great Britain. He is currently pastor of the Infant Jesus Shrine in Miryalaguda. He succeeds Bishop Gali Bali, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Fr. Joseph Do Manh Hung as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Hochiminh Ville (area 2,093, population 7,640,228, Catholics 685,508, priests 733, religious 5,850), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in 1957 in Saigon, Vietnam, and was ordained a priest in 1990. He holds a doctorate in theology from the Institut Catholique, Paris. During his pastoral ministry he has served as parish vicar, spiritual teacher, professor and vice-rector of the major seminary, head of the Priestly Association of the Prado, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for the Clergy, chancellor of the archdiocese and secretary to the archbishop, offices he continues to hold.
- Fr. Denis Jachiet and Fr. Thibaul Verny as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Paris (area 105, population 2,274,880, Catholics 1,364,000, priests 1,190, permanent deacons 103, religious 2,775), France.
Bishop-elect Jachiet was born in Paris, France in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and a licentiate in theology from the Brussels Institute of Theological Studies. He has served in a number of pastoral roles including parish vicar, college and lyceum chaplain, seminary formator, delegate for priestly and religious vocations, member of the presbyteral college, diocesan chaplain for the scouts of France, vicar general and titular canon of the cathedral of Paris.
Bishop-elect Verny was born in Paris, France in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1998. After qualifying as a physical engineer, he obtained a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. Since 2008 he has been an Oblate of the Olivetano de Notre Dame de la Sainte Espérance monastery in Mesnil Saint Loup. During his pastoral ministry he has served as parish vicar, college and lyceum chaplain, dean of the deanery of Magenta-Lafayette, adjunct diocesan delegate for priestly and religious vocations, and vicar general, an office he continues to hold.
