Montana bishop resigns, cites health

Published: 2006-07-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Anthony M. Milone as bishop of Great Falls-Billings, Mont., July 12. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the resignation in Washington. Bishop Milone, 73, said he retired early because of health reasons. "Over the last year and a half I have been struggling with health issues that have hampered my ability to travel around the diocese for pastoral and liturgical services, meetings with consultative bodies, or simply being with the people of the diocese," he said. The diocese covers more than 94,000 square miles of eastern and central Montana, serving about 52,000 Catholics in 66 parishes. The usual retirement age for bishops is 75, but church law permits earlier retirement for health or other serious reasons. Bishop Milone has been a bishop since 1982 and head of the Great Falls-Billings Diocese since 1988.

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