Rome - Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Slavomir Miklovš from the pastoral governance of the Eparchy of Križevci for the faithful of the Byzantine rite in Croatia. Bishop Slavomir turned 75 earlier this month and is resigning for reasons of age, in accordance with CCEO can. 210 § 1. It was Bishop Slavomir who ordained the future Archbishop Cyril Vasiľ to the priesthood in 1987.
The Pope has named Father Nikola Kekić as the new Bishop of Križevci for the faihful of the Byzantine rite in Croatia. Father Nikola is currently Rector of the Greek Catholic Seminary of Zagreb and Parish Priest of the Co-Cathedral of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius.
Biography of the new Bishop
Father Nikola Kekić was born on January 17, 1943, at Stari Grad in Croatia.
Having attended elementary school in Sošice and a Franciscan high school in Zagreb, he studied philosophy and theology at the Zagreb School of Catholic Theology and at the Pontifical University Urbaniana, where he received a bachelor's degree in Theology.
From 1983 to 1986 he studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, earning a licence in Church History.
He was ordained priest on November 1, 1970, by Archbishop Miroslav Stefan Marusyn.
Following his ordination he served as Parish Priest of Mrzlo Polje; Director of the Greek Catholic Spirituality Center at Karlovac; Parish Priest of Pribić; Vice-Rector of the Greek catholic Seminary of Zagreb and at the same time Parish Priest of the Co-Cathedral of St. Cyril and St. Methodius; since 1990 he has been Rettore of the Seminary as well as Parish Priest of the Con-Cathedral.
He knows Croat, Italian, German and Ukrainian.
Sources
"Rinuncia del Vescovo di Križevci per i fedeli di rito bizantino (Croazia) e nomina del Successore", Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office, May 25, 2009.
"Bishop Slavomir Miklovš", The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
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