AFRICA/ALGERIA - New Bishop of Laghouat appointed

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father Pope John Paul II appointed 26 October 2004 Bishop Laghouat (Algeria) Rev. Father Claude Rault, M. Afr., Provincial Superior of the White Fathers in Algeria and Tunisia.
The Bishop elect was born at Poilly (diocese of Coutances, France), on 28 November 1940. He studied philosophy at the major seminary at Coutances and then entered the White Father’s novitiate at Gap. He made his perpetual profession on 18 June 1966. He studied theology in Ottawa (Canada) and concluded his formation at the White Father’s seminary at Vals (France). He was ordained a priest at Coutances on 29 June 1968. He served as Bursar of Gap Novitiate from 1968 to 1970 and studied Arabic at the Pontifical Institute for Arab Studies in Rome (1971-1972). Destined for the diocese of Laghouat, from 1972 to 1993 he worked in parishes at Ghardaia, Touggourt and Ouargla. In 1987 he was appointed Vicar General of the dioceses, a post he held until 1999, also during the pastoral government of Bishop Michel Gagnon. Since 1999 has been Provincial Superior of the Missionaries of Africa for the Maghreb (Algeria and Tunisia).
Laghouat diocese created in 1955, has an area of 2,107,780 sq. km (90% of Algeria). It has a population of 3,858,288 including about 2,000 Catholics spread over the vast Sahara desert region others near oil fields. There are 16 priests, 7 Brothers, 35 Sisters and 10 parishes or pastoral centres. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2004; Righe 19; Parole 254)