Baltimore, Md., Mar 20, 2012 / 09:36 am
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. bishops' committee on religious freedom, as the 16th Archbishop of Baltimore on March 20.
“The very thought of serving and leading the nation's 'Premier See' fills me with joy and also with profound gratitude, first and foremost to the Lord who shepherds his people in love,” said Bishop Lori, referring to the long-standing national primacy of the first Catholic diocese established in the U.S.
Archbishop-designate Lori's installation will take place May 16 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. In an announcement from the Baltimore archdiocese, the new archbishop-designate thanked the Pope for entrusting him with leadership of the “great and historic” local Church.
As the Vatican announced Archbishop-designate Lori's appointment, it also revealed the Pope's choice of new bishops for Rockford, Ill. and Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida, as well as a new Archbishop of Montreal, Canada.