VATICAN CITY, JULY 2, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensburg, Germany, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and as president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. The German prelate, who will also be elevated to the dignity of archbishop, will succeed Cardinal William Joseph Levada, whose resignation for reasons of age was accepted by the Holy Father.
Born in Mainz, Germany, Gerhard Müller has served in various dicasteries in the Vatican, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Congregation for Catholic Education, and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Archbishop-elect Müller is also in charge of the publication of the «Opera Omnia»,
a collection of all the writings of Pope Benedict XVI. The 64-year-old prelate has also written hundreds of works on themes such as dogmatic theology, ecumenism, the priesthood and the diaconate.
Curial appointments and resignations
The Holy See also announced the appointment of three president delegates for the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October. The theme of the Synod, which will be held in the Vatican, is «The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith».
The three prelates appointed are Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Pope also appointed Father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran is the president of that council.
