VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI appoints Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe Archbishop of Naples, and Cardinal Ivan Dias as new Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples

Saturday, 20 May 2006

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI on 20 May 2006 accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the metropolitan archdiocese of Naples, Italy, presented by Cardinal Michele Giordano, in conformity with the Code of Canon Law can. 401 § 1. The Holy Father appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Naples, Italy, Cardinal Crescenzio Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, until now Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe was born at Carinaro (Caserta) on 2 June 1943. He attended local schools and then went first to the Pontifical Regional seminary at Aversa and then to the Major Seminary of Rome diocese. He was ordained a priest on 12 March 1967. He has a degree in theology and a licentiate in Canon Law from the Lateran University, Rome and a degree in philosophy from La Sapienza University Rome. He has been assistant professor of sacramental theology Lateran University and later dean of dogmatic theology at the pontifical Urban University. He has published various theological works.
He studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and in 1972 entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See and was sent to the Papal Nunciature in Brazil. He was then called to work in the Holy See’s secretariat of state office in the section for International Bodies and then in the office Information and Documentation. In 1987 he was appointed Secretariat of State Assessor for General Affairs. On 2 April 1992 he was appointed titular archbishop of Grado and secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy. He was ordained a bishop on 26 April 1992 by Pope John Paul II, of venerable memory. On 3 November 1997 he was appointed secretary general of the Committee and the Council of Presidency of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 in charge of overseeing and organising the events. He was also President of Peregrinatio ad Petri Sedem from November 1997 to July 2001. Created Cardinal in 2001 he is a member of two Vatican Congregations, for the Doctrine of the Faith and for the Clergy, and of the Pontifical Councils for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians, Legislative Texts, Interreligious Dialogue, Social Communications and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. On 9 April 2001 he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urban University.
The Holy Father, on 20 May 2006 appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Cardinal Ivan Dias, until now Archbishop of Bombay, India.
Cardinal Ivan Dias Archbishop of Bombay (India) was born in Mumbai 14 April 1936. He was ordained a priest in Bombay 8 December 1958. Ha studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome (1961-1964). He has a degree in Canon Law 1964 from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In 1964 he worked in the Secretariat of State to prepare Pope Paul VI’s visit to Bombay on the occasion of the International Eucharistic Congress.
Between 1965 and 1973 he was secretary at the Apostolic Nunciatures in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and the Islands of Madagascar, Reunion, Comores and Mauritius. Between 1973 and 1982 at the secretariat of state he was head of the Section for Soviet Union, the Baltic States, Belo Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania. On 8 May 1982 he was appointed titular archbishop of Rusubisir and Apostolic Pro-Nuncio in Ghana, Togo and Benin (1982- 1987). On 19 June 1982 he was ordained a bishop in St Peter’s Basilica. Between 1987 and 1991 he was Apostolic pro-Nuncio in South Korea. From 1991 to 1997 he was Apostolic Nuncio in Albania.
On 8 November 1996 he was appointed Archbishop of Bombay, taking possession of the cathedral the following 13 March.
He was President Delegate for the 10th ordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2001). He was created a Cardinal in the public consistory on 21 February 2001, of the Titular Church of the Holy Spirit at Ferratella, by John Paul II. He is a member of the following Congregations: Doctrine of the Faith; Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; Catholic Education; Pontifical Council: for Culture; for Laity; Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church; the Prefecture for the Financial Affairs of the Holy See; the Council of Cardinals for the examination of questions of organisation and finance of the Holy See. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 20/5/2006; Righe 56; Parole 567)


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