PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, JUNE 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI named as bishop of Harrisburg an auxiliary from the nearby Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Bishop Joseph McFadden, 63, had been serving as an auxiliary in the archdiocese since 2004. He will now take charge of the Harrisburg Diocese, which has some 248,000 Catholics served by 179 priests, 49 permanent deacons and 394 religious.
Filling the vacancy left by Bishop McFadden, Monsignor Michael Fitzgerald of the Philadelphia clergy, has been named an auxiliary bishop. The 62-year-old will join three other auxiliaries in assisting Cardinal Justin Rigali.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has about 1.5 million Catholics, served by some 1,000 priests, 239 permanent deacons and more than 3,000 religious.
Defending life
Benedict XVI also appointed new members to the administrative council of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Among the five new members is one prelate: Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib of Santiago, Chile; and a laywoman: Mónica López Barahona of Spain.
John Haas, the president of the U.S.-based National Catholic Bioethics Center, was also appointed to the post.
The others named were Mounir Abdel Messih Shehata Farag of Egypt and Gian Luigi Gigli of Italy.
Curia change
Finally, the Holy Father appointed Monsignor Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, under secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, as secretary of the same dicastery.
