X

Browsing News Entries

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice; Appoints Reverend Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap., as Successor

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Venice, and has appointed Reverend Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap., as Bishop-elect of Venice. Father Biosca is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Province of Saint Augustine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and currently serves as pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2026, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’ affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States. 

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Biosca was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Biosca was born on December 15, 1964. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Borromeo College in Wickliffe, Ohio (1987); a master’s degree in theology (1992) and a master of divinity (1992) from Oblate College in Washington, D.C.; and pursued studies (2004-2007) at the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., earning a licentiate in sacred theology.

He entered the Capuchin Franciscans on August 2, 1987, and made his perpetual profession to the religious order on August 17, 1991. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1994. 

Father Biosca’s assignments after ordination include: serving as a missionary in Papua New Guinea from 1994 to 2006, where he was assigned to St. Mary, Queen of the Friars Minor parish in Kagua (1994-2001), and to the Pangia Capuchin Fraternity (2001-2004); he also served as a missionary in Cuba from 2007 to 2019, where he was assigned to the Capuchin Fraternity of Cristo de Limpias in Havana (2007), Iglesia Jesús de Miramar in Havana (2007-2008), Iglesia La Divina Pastora in Santa Clara (2008-2011), and Iglesia La Purísima Concepción in Manzanillo (2011-2019). He has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. since 2019.

Bishop-elect Biosca speaks Spanish and Tok Pisin (a Creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea).

The Diocese of Venice is comprised of 9,035 square miles in the State of Florida.

###

Zambia: PMS Solwezi Diocese trains Holy Childhood Animators

The Catholic Diocese of Solwezi's Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) recently concluded the training of 57 Holy Childhood animators, focusing on equipping them to nurture children's faith and wellbeing.

Read all

 

Cardinal Fernández to Pius X Society: Ordaining new bishops is schismatic act

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, issues a new warning to the Society of St. Pius X against carrying out episcopal ordinations without a pontifical mandate, saying Pope Leo XIV continues to pray the Lefebvrians choose a different path.

Read all

 

Pope Leo XIV prays at the spot where St. John Paul II was shot

Before the beginning of the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV stops and prays at the spot where his predecessor, St. John Paul II, was shot in 1981.

Read all

 

Pope: Virgin Mary is perfect model of what the Church is called to be

During his weekly General Audience, and on the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Leo XIV emphasizes how the Blessed Virgin Mary is the perfect model, member and mother of the Church.

Read all

 

The enduring commitment of religious congregations to South Sudan’s recovery

In 2008, religious congregations established “Solidarity with South Sudan” as a joint effort in response to a plea from the Sudanese Bishops’ Conference. The goal was to tackle urgent educational, health, and pastoral challenges that emerged after many years of war. Their efforts gained momentum after an exploratory visit in 2006, laying the groundwork for tangible support. The question on everyone’s lips: How do you build in a place that had lost almost everything?

Read all

 

University students in Rome prepare for a visit from Pope Leo

On May 14, the Pope will visit the Sapienza University of Rome. Students preparing to welcome him share their experience in the University Chapel — a place that has become like family, especially for those from outside Rome.

Read all

 

Archbishop Gallagher: Vatican diplomacy has served peace for centuries

In Cape Verde for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Holy See, Archbishop Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, delivers a speech in which he explores the working methods of papal diplomacy.

Read all

 

Pope Leo remembers Cardinal Tscherrig and his great love for the Church

Pope Leo sends his condolences for the passing of Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig, who died Tuesday at the age of 79, expressing 'gratitude for his faithful service as a papal representative in various countries and later as a member of several Dicasteries of the Holy See' and calling him a 'minister of the Gospel' who loved the Church.

Read all

 

13 May 1981: The day the attack on John Paul II shocked the world

45 years from the attack on Saint John Paul II during a General Audience in St Peter’s Square, the memory of the event continues to be linked to themes of prayer, forgiveness, and trust in God reflected in the words of the Pope and his successors.

Read all