Vatican City, Nov 2, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Pope Benedict XVI has renewed for another five year term Bishop Cipriano Calderon Polo, Vice-president Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (CAL), as a member to the Congregation of Bishops.
For a 15 year period (1988-2003), Bishop Calderon was Vice-president of the CAL, an organization which depends on the Congregation of Bishops. During his vice-presidency, the Prefect of the Congregation and the president at the head of the Pontifical Commission, were Cardinals Bernardin Gantin and Giovanni Battista Re.
The Spanish Prelate (Plasencia-1927), has a strong knowledge of the Latin-American reality, and has been a strong spokesman of the Holy See during the Vatican II Council. Pope Paul VI entrusted to him the foundation of the Spanish edition of the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano.
This is the third five-year term of Bishop Calderon as member of the Vatican congregation. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II confirmed him in this charge for a second term. On this same occasion, the pontiff renewed his term as a member of the Pontifical Committee for Eucharistic Congresses.