Sala Stampa

www.vatican.va

Sala Stampa Back Top Print Pdf
Sala Stampa


Resignations and Appointments, 16.07.2025

Resignation of bishop of Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Cebu, Philippines

Resignation and appointment of archbishop of Baalbek of the Greek-Melkites

Resignation and succession of bishop of Oslo, Norway

Appointment of Pontifical Legate for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi

 

Resignation of bishop of Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria, presented by Bishop Georgi Ivanov Yovchev.

 

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Cebu, Philippines

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines, presented by Archbishop Jose Serofia Palma.

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Alberto Sy Uy as metropolitan archbishop of Cebu, Philippines, transferring him from the diocese of Tabgilaran.

Curriculum vitae

Archbishop-elect Alberto Sy Uy was born on 18 October 1966 in Poblacion, Ubay, Bohol. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City, and in theology at the Saint John Mary Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City. He was awarded a licentiate in sacred theology from the Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City, and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry.

He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Talibon on 14 April 1993.

After ordination, he first held the roles of parish vicar of Saint Michael the Archangel in Jagna (1993-1995) and dean of seminarians at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (1995-1997). He obtained a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2002-2006), and went on to serve as vice rector of the Saint John Mary Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City (2006-2010), parish priest of Saint Michael the Archangel in Jagna (2010-2013), parish priest of Blessed Trinity Cathedral in Talibon (2013-2016), and episcopal vicar for the clergy for the diocese of Talibon (2013-2016).

On 13 October 2016 he was appointed as bishop of Tagbilaran. Within the local episcopal conference he is chair of the Commission on Ecumenical Affairs (ECEA) and a member of the Commission on Cultural Heritage of the Church (ECCHC) and the Office on Bioethics.

 

Resignation and appointment of archbishop of Baalbek of the Greek-Melkites

The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Baalbek of the Greek-Melkites, presented by Archbishop Elias Youssef Rahal, S.M.S.P., and has elected the Reverend Fr. Makhoul Farha, O.C.D., as archbishop of the same circumscription, to which the Holy Father had granted his assent.

Curriculum vitae

Archbishop-elect Makhoul Farha was born in Ras-Baalbek, Lebanon, on 28 December 1959. He entered the Carmelite family in 1974 and gave his solemn vows in 1983. He was ordained a priest on 14 July 1984.

He obtained a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University of Rome (1988), and has held various offices in his Order in Lebanon, including: rector of the studentate (1989-2002), provincial counsellor (1996-1999), superior of the Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Monastery in Hazmieh and first provincial counsellor (1999-2002), and provincial superior (2002-2008 and 2011-2017). He has also served as judicial vicar of the apostolic vicariate of Beirut of the Latins (2012-2020), responsible in Lebanon for the Ecclesiastical Tribunal for faithful of Latin Rite (1989-2002) and president of the Ecclesiastical Appeals Tribunal for the Latins (1992-2012), the Chaldeans (1992-2020) and the Syriac Catholics (2000-2002), judicial vicar and president of the Tribunal for the faithful of Syriac Rite (2002-2017), and judicial vicar and president of the Tribunal for faithful of Armenian Rite (2000-2020).

He has been a member of the Committees for the Liturgy, the Family, and Canonical Affairs, and the Ecclesiastical Tribunals of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon (1995-2020). Since 2020 he has been the delegate of the Superior General of the Carmelites for Egypt.

 

Resignation and succession of bishop of Oslo, Norway

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Oslo, Norway, presented by Bishop Bernt Ivar Eidsvig, C.R.S.A.

He is succeeded by Bishop Fredrik Hansen, until now coadjutor bishop of the same diocese.

 

Appointment of Pontifical Legate for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi

The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, S.D.B., pro-prefect of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, as Pontifical Legate for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi.