Resignation and succession of bishop of Alleppey, India
Resignation of bishop of Tarija, Bolivia, and appointment of successor
Elevation of the apostolic exarchate of Sofia for Catholic faithful of Byzantine-Slavonic rite resident in Bulgaria to eparchy, and appointment of first eparchal bishop
Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Cuba and appointment of new president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
Resignation and succession of bishop of Alleppey, India
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Alleppey, India, presented by Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil. He is succeeded by Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil, currently coadjutor of the same diocese.
Elevation of the apostolic exarchate of Sofia for Catholic faithful of Byzantine- Slavonic rite resident in Bulgaria to eparchy, and appointment of first eparchal bishop
The Holy Father has elevated the apostolic exarchate of Sofia for Catholic faithful of Byzantine-Slavonic rite resident in Bulgaria to an eparchy, assigning it the name of “Eparchy of Saint John XXIII of Sofia for Catholics of Byzantine-Slavic rite in Bulgaria”.
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Christo Proykov, currently exarch, as first eparchal bishop, transferring him from the titular see of Briula.
Msgr. Christo Proykov was born on 11 March 1946 in Sofia, Bulgaria. After completing his philosophical and theological studies privately, he was ordained a priest on 23 May 1971. In 1980 he was sent to Rome where, in 1982, he obtained a degree in canon law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute. On 18 December 1993, he was appointed as titular bishop of Briula and coadjutor of the apostolic exarch, Archbishop Metodius Stratiev, A.A., receiving episcopal ordination from Saint John Paul II on January 6, 1994. On 5 September 1995, he succeeded Archbishop Stratiev. He is currently president of the Inter-Regional Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria.
Resignation of bishop of Tarija, Bolivia, and appointment of successor
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Tarija presented by Bishop Francisco Javier Del Río Sendino.
The Pope has appointed Bishop Jorge Ángel Saldías Pedraza, O.P., as bishop of Tarija, transferring him from the titular see of Felbes and from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of La Paz.
Bishop-elect Jorge Ángel Saldías Pedraza, O.P., was born in Buena Vista-La Arboleda, Ichilo Province, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, on 13 August 1968.
He carried out his postulancy and novitiate in the Dominican Order in Cochabamba, from 1993 to 1994. He was ordained a priest on 25 May 2001.
From 1996 to 1999 he attended courses in theology at the Higher Institute of Theological Studies (ISET) in Cochabamba. He obtained a licentiate in theology from ISET.
During the course of his ministry he has held the following offices: parish vicar in the Nuestra Señora de Cotoca archdiocesan shrine (2001); parish rector of the Nuestra Señora de Cotoca archdiocesan shrine (2002-2005); member of the presbyteral council of the archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (2002-2005); and provincial vicar of the Dominican Vice-Province of Bolivia (2005-2013). During those eight years he was rector of the Chapel of Santa Catalina, in the Virgen del Socavón parish, Maica, in Cochabamba; parish priest - rector of the Community of the Nuestra Señora de Cotoca archdiocesan shrine in Santa Cruz de la Sierra; parish priest of the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria parish of Paurito, episcopal vicar of the vicariate of Cotoca and judge at the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (2013-2014).
He was appointed as titular bishop of Felbes and auxiliary of La Paz on 25 March 2014, and received episcopal ordination the following 5 June.
Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Cuba and appointment of new president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
The Holy Father has appointed as apostolic nuncio in Cuba Archbishop Giampiero Gloder, of the titular see of Telde, currently president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.
The Pope has appointed Archbishop Joseph Marino, of the titular see of Natchitoches, currently apostolic nuncio in Malaysia and East Timor and apostolic delegate in Brunei, as president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.
