Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop of Cleveland; Names Bishop Thomas as Apostolic Administrator

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has accepted the resignation ofBishop Richard G. Lennon from the pastoral governance of the Diocese ofCleveland and has named Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo as the ApostolicAdministrator of the diocese until the installation of a new bishop.

The resignation and appointment was publicized inWashington, December 28, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio tothe United States.  

Bishop Lennon was installed as the 10^th Bishopof the Diocese of Cleveland on May 15, 2006. His Holiness Pope BenedictXVI, appointed Bishop Lennon on April 4, 2006.  

Anative of the Boston area, Bishop Lennon was ordained to the priesthood in May,1973 in the Archdiocese of Boston where he served as a parish priest, FireDepartment Chaplain, an Assistant for Canonical Affairs, and Rector of St.John's Seminary. Ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Bostonon September 14, 2001, he was also called upon to serve as ApostolicAdministrator for the Archdiocese from December of 2002 to July of 2003.

The Diocese of Cleveland comprises 3,414 square milesthat include eight counties in the north-central part of the state of Ohio. Ithas a total population of 2,774,113 people of which 682,948 or 24 percent, areCatholic.
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Keywords: Pope Francis, U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops, USCCB, Bishop Richard G. Lennon, Diocese of Cleveland, Archdiocese ofBoston, Bishop Daniel Thomas, Diocese of Toledo.

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