New bishop of the Kotor diocese appointed

Vatican, March 11, 1996 (IKA) – The Vatican announced that Pope John PaulII has accepted the resignation of the bishop of Kotor Ivo Gugic accordingto Church law, Canon 401, Paragraph 1, and appointed Msgr. Ilija Janjic,parish priest of Herceg-Novi, as the new bishop of the Kotor Diocese. Bishop Ivo Gugic was born on March 2, 1920 in Vela Luka and ordainedto the priesthood in 1944. In 1961, he was appointed titular bishop ofBonusta, then served as auxiliary bishop of Dubrovnik and in 1967auxiliary bishop of the Split-Makarska Diocese. Since 1983, Bishop Gugichad led the Kotor Diocese, which includes the “Bay of Croatian Saints,”Boka Kotorska, home of St. Leopold Bogdan Mandic, the second Croat to becanonized. The newly appointed Bishop Ilija Janjic was born on September 20,1944 in Vidovice (to the late Ante and Jela Janjic) in the SarajevoArchdiocese. He completed theological studies at the School of Theologyin Split, where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1969. Since then, hehas served in various functions: in the Kotor Diocese in Skaljari, Muo,Budva, Prcanj and Herceg-Novi; and from 1975 to 1981 as spiritual advisorat the Split Metropolitan Seminary. At the time of his appointment asbishop, he was serving as parish priest of Herceg-Novi. The place anddate of the bishop#!s ordination will be subsequently announced.