Resignation of bishop of São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé and Principe
Appointment of bishop of Punta Arenas, Chile
Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Bishops
Resignation of bishop of São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé and Principe
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé and Principe, presented by Bishop António Mendes dos Santos, C.M.F.
Appointment of bishop of Punta Arenas, Chile
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Óscar Hernán Blanco Martínez, O.M.D., of San Juan Bautista de Calama, Chile, as bishop of Punta Arenas, Chile.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop Óscar Hernán Blanco Martínez, O.M.D., was born on 26 September 1964 in Puerto Domínguez, diocese of Villarrica. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the San Pedro Apóstol Seminary in the diocese of San Bernardo and in theology at the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago.
He gave his solemn religious profession in the Order of Clerics Regular of the Mother of God on 17 March 1996 and was ordained a priest on 13 April 1997.
After ordination, he held the following offices: chaplain of the Clínica Familia in Santiago (1997-2016), parish vicar of San Lázaro (1997-2000), parish vicar (2000-2001) and parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Santiago (2001-2006), parish priest of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Rancagua (2006-2012, 2014-2016), and master of novices of the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God in Santiago (2013-2014).
On 19 March 2016 he was appointed as bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama, Chile, and received episcopal consecration the following 19 May.
Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Bishops
The Holy Father has appointed the following as members of the Dicastery for Bishops: Their Eminences Cardinals Anders Arborelius, O.C.D., bishop of Stockholm, Sweden; Jose F. Advincula, archbishop of Manila, Philippines; José Tolentino de Mendonça, archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church; and Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops; Their Excellencies, whose appointment as cardinal was recently announced: Archbishop Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy; Archbishop Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France; and Bishop Oscar Cantoni of Como, Italy; Archbishop Dražen Kutleša of Split-Makarska, Croatia, and Bishop Paul Desmond Tighe, secretary of the former Pontifical Council for Culture; the Reverend Fr. Dom Donato Ogliari, O.S.B., abbot of the Abbey of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls and apostolic administrator of the Territorial Abbey of Montecassino, Italy; the Reverend Srs. Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and Yvonne Reungoat, F.M.A., former superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and the distinguished Dr. Maria Lia Zervino, president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations.
