Appointment of special envoy to the celebrations for the 950th anniversary of the diocese of Płock, Poland
Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Liverpool, England
Appointment of bishop of Toruń, Poland
Appointment of bishop of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones, Paraguay
Appointment of special envoy to the celebrations for the 950th anniversary of the diocese of Płock, Poland
The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, S.V.D., archbishop of Belgrade, as his special envoy to the celebrations for the 950th anniversary of the diocese of Płock, Poland, to be held on 7 June 2025.
Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Liverpool, England
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Liverpool, England, presented by Archbishop Malcolm Patrick McMahon, O.P.
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop John Francis Sherrington, until now titular of Hilta and auxiliary of Westminster, as metropolitan archbishop of Liverpool, England.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop John Francis Sherrington was born in Leicester, Nottingham, on 5 January 1958. He was awarded a master’s degree in mathematics from Queen’s College, University of Cambridge, and was a management consultant in London before carrying out his studies at the All Hallows College Seminary in Dublin, where he received a Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureatus.
He was ordained a priest on 13 June 1987.
After ordination, he first held the role of parish vicar of Saint Anne, Radcliffe-on-Trent and Bingham (1987-1988). He obtained a licentiate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1988), and went on to serve as professor of moral theology at All Hallows College, Dublin (1990-1998), professor of moral theology, director of studies at the interdiocesan seminary of Wonersh (1998-2004), parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mickleover, Derby (2004-2009), and parish priest of Good Shepherd, Arnold (2009-2011).
On 30 June 2011, he was appointed titular bishop of Hilta and auxiliary of Westminster, receiving episcopal consecration the following 14 September.
After episcopal nomination, he held the following offices: head of pastoral care of the Hertfordshire zone; chair of the Managing Board, chair of the Council for Economic Affairs, chair of the Commission for Staff and Properties, and moderator of the Curia of the metropolitan archdiocese of Westminster; head of pastoral care for the North London zone; and member of the board of Governors of Allen Hall Seminary of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Westminster.
Within the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales, he is a member of the Department for Social Justice, with responsibility for moral issues, and member of the Department for Education. He is also a member of the Supervisory Commission of Overseas Seminaries, the Venerable English College and the Royal English College, as well as trustee of the Pontifical Beda College, Rome Trust Fund.
Appointment of bishop of Toruń, Poland
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Arkadiusz Okroj as bishop of the diocese of Toruń, Poland, transferring him from the titular see of Cufruta and the office of auxiliary of Pelplin.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop Arkadiusz Okroj was born on 27 May 1967 in Kartuzy, in the then-diocese of Chełmno. After completing his studies in philosophy and. Theology at the diocesan major seminary, he was ordained on 6 June 1992 for the diocese of Pelplin.
After ordination, he first held the role of parish vicar of Our Lady of Consolation in Drzycin (1992-1996) and of Saint Joseph in Wygod (1996-1997). He was awarded a doctorate in spiritual theology from the Catholic John Paul II University of Lublin (2002), and went on to serve as spiritual father of the major seminary (2000-2010) and parish priest of Saint Michael the Archangel in Kiłpino (2010-2019).
On 12 February 2019, he was appointed titular bishop of Cufruta and auxiliary of Pelplin, receiving episcopal consecration the following 2 March. Within the Polish Episcopal Conference, he is a member of the Commission for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, and the Sub-Commission for Individual Forms of Consecrated Life.
Appointment of bishop of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones, Paraguay
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Osmar López Benítez, until now parish priest of the Inmaculada Concepción de María Cathedral of Carapeguá, as bishop of the diocese of San Juan Bautista, Paraguay.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Osmar López Benítez was born on 14 June 1975 in Maciel, in the Department of Caazapá.
He entered the minor seminary of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bétharram, and began his formation in the major seminary of the same Congregation. He subsequently left the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to continue his formation in the national major seminary.
He was awarded a master’s degree in psychological-spiritual accompaniment from the Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago del Cile, and a diploma in biblical pastoral animation at the Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
He was ordained a priest on 22 December 2001, and incardinated in the diocese of Carapeguá.
He has held the following offices: parish vicar (2002), parish administrator (2003) and parish priest (2004-2010) of the Cathedral of Carapeguá, parish priest of Santo Tomás Apóstol in Paraguarí (2012), diocesan administrator of Carapeguá (2015-2018), pastoral vicar of the diocese, and from 2022 to date, parish priest of the Inmaculada Concepción de María Cathedral of Carapeguá.
