Vatican announces new batch of bishops' appointments

Published: 2005-04-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Although acknowledging Pope John Paul II was in serious condition, the Vatican April 1 released a batch of new bishops' nominations that it said had been approved by the pope over the course of the previous six weeks. The list of changes in church leadership included a number of appointments and the acceptance of several bishops' retirements, as well as the establishment of an apostolic administration in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan. The Vatican announcement said the pope had elevated the Uzbekistan mission to the status of apostolic administration on March 22, naming Franciscan Father Jerzy Maculewicz, 49, a bishop and head of the new jurisdiction. Close to 90 percent of Uzbekistan's 26 million people are Muslim and about 9 percent are Orthodox. The Vatican estimates there are 4,000 Catholics in the country.

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