Vatican spokesman confirms Swiss bishop will fill Christian Unity post

Vatican City, Jun 30, 2010 / 10:48 am

Speaking with journalists at the Holy See's Press Office on Wednesday, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, said that more nominations can be expected to follow Wednesday's bombardment of resignations and appointments to different positions within the Church's Roman Curia.

Wednesday's flood of appointments included Cardinal Marc Ouellet being announced as the new prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and the naming of Archbishop Rino Fisichella as head of the just created Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.

The Vatican's "voice" said that he expects the appointment of Swiss Bishop of Basel, Kurt Koch to the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to happen on Thursday as he mentioned had been indicated within the Vatican previously.

"We'll publish it on July 1," said Lombardi, "but he has already made his farewell letter to the diocese, explaining that he's been called to Rome and has also been named Apostolic Administrator of Basel" for the time it takes to name another bishop.

Bishop Koch will take the place of Cardinal Walter Kasper who has occupied the post for the last 11 years.

Asked by journalists for an idea of when the nomination of the Apostolic Delegate to the Legionaries of Christ might come, he said, "Certainly we're all waiting for it, but I don't think it's tomorrow."

He also added that an appointment will need to be made to replace Archbishop Celestino Migliore, who was reassigned to the Apostolic Nunciature in Poland from his place as the Permanent Observer to the United Nations.