Vatican City, Aug 28, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco to be the new Archbishop of Genoa (Italy) today, replacing Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and thus ending speculation on new changes in the Curia.
Several Italian vaticanisti, had been speculating that Pope Benedict would move a member of the Roman Curia to succeed Cardinal Bertone, who will become Secretary of State the Holy See. The move would allow the Holy Father to continue his rumored plan of changes for the Vatican’s leadership.
However, the new Archbishop of Genoa, 63 year old Bagnasco comes from the ranks of the Italian episcopate.
Archbishop Bagnasco was born on Jan 14th, 1943 at Pontevico and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Genoa on June 29, 1966.
In 1998 he was appointed Bishop of Pesaro, and in June 2003 was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the new Archbishop of the Military Services for Italy.
No announcement was made as to who will succeed Bagnasco at the Archdiocese of Military Services.