Resignation of the bishop of Des Moines, U.S.A., and appointment of successor
Appointment of director of the Holy See Press Office
Appointment of deputy directors of the Editorial Directorate of the Dicastery for Communication
Resignation of the bishop of Des Moines, U.S.A., and appointment of successor
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Des Moines, United States of America, presented by H.E. Msgr. Richard E. Pates.
The Pope has appointed as bishop of Des Moines, United States of America, the Rev. William M Joensen, of the clergy of the diocese of Dubuque, currently professor of philosophy and dean of spiritual life at the Loras College of Dubuque.
The Rev. William M. Joensen was born on 8 July 1960 in Waterloo, Iowa. He carried out his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio (1984-1989). He subsequently obtained a doctorate in philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. (1995-2001).
He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Dubuque on 24 June 1989.
After ordination he served as deputy priest of the Sacred Heart Parish in Waterloo (1989-1992), teacher at the Columbus High School in Waterloo (1989-1992), deputy priest of the Resurrection Parish in Dubuque (1992-1995) and chaplain of the Clarke College in Dubuque (2003-2010). Since 2001 he has served as spiritual director of the Saint Pius X Seminary in Dubuque, and professor of philosophy and dean for spiritual life at the Loras College in Dubuque.
Appointment of director of the Holy See Press Office
The Holy Father has appointed the distinguished Dr. Matteo Bruni as director of the Holy See Press Office, with effect from 22 July 2019.
Dr. Matteo Bruni was born on 23 November 1976 in Winchester, Great Britain.
He has a degree in modern and contemporary languages and literature from the La Sapienza University of Rome.
He has worked since July 2009 in the Holy See Press Office, where he has guided the procedures for the accreditation of journalists and the management of operational communications with the press as the coordinator of the Accreditations Section.
In December 2013 he assumed responsibility for the organization and accompaniment of members of the press admitted to the papal flight on the occasion of the Holy Father’s trips outside Italy.
At the beginning of 2016 he became coordinator of the Media Operations and Accreditation sector of the Holy See Press Office; in this role he coordinated the participation of the press in the various events of the Jubilee of Mercy.
He has for some time been involved, in the ecclesial context, in humanitarian cooperation projects and programmes for support for the elderly.
He is married and has a daughter.
Besides Italian, he knows English, Spanish and French.
Appointment of deputy directors of the Editorial Directorate of the Dicastery for Communication
The Holy Father has appointed the distinguished Drs. Sergio Centofanti and Alessandro Gisotti as deputy directors of the Editorial Directorate of the Dicastery for Communication, with effect from 22 July 2019.
