Pope names new bishop for Davenport Diocese, two Boston auxiliaries

Published: 2006-10-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop William E. Franklin of Davenport, Iowa, and appointed Auxiliary Bishop Martin J. Amos of Cleveland as his successor. The pope also named Father John A. Dooher, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Dedham, Mass., and Father Robert F. Hennessey, pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Church in East Boston, Mass., as auxiliary bishops for the Boston Archdiocese. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the changes in Washington Oct. 12. Bishop Franklin, 76, has headed the Davenport Diocese since January 1994. Canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75. Two days before his resignation was accepted by the pope, the diocese announced it had filed for bankruptcy protection because of sex abuse lawsuits it faces. It filed a petition for Chapter 11 reorganization in the Iowa District of U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The pope also accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop John P. Boles of Boston. Bishop Boles, 76, was ordained a priest of the Boston Archdiocese in 1955 and appointed as a Boston auxiliary bishop in 1992.

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