Tsiroanomandidy, 31 October, 2024 / 8:07 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of Bishop Gaetano Di Pierro of the Catholic Diocese of Farafangana in Madagascar and appointed Bishop Marcellin Randriamamonjy of the country’s Fenoarivo Atsinanana Diocese as his successor.
The latest administrative changes in the Indian Ocean Island nation were made public on Thursday, October 31 and published by the Holy See Press Office.
Catholic Bishops are expected to submit their respective letters of retirement at the age of 75. Compelling reasons such as “ill-health or other grave problems” justify a request in writing to resign.
Bishop Di Pierro, a member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCI/Dehonians) will turn 76 on December 1. He had been at the helm of Farafangana Diocese since his installation in April 2018 following his transfer from Madagascar’s Catholic Diocese of Moramanga.
His newly appointed successor, Bishop Randriamamonjy, was born on 12 April 1963 in Sandrandahy in the Catholic Diocese of Ambositra in Madagascar.