Pope Francis made several appointments, announced by the Vatican on October 7, 2021.
Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Burundi
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Msgr. Dieudonné Datonou, until now nunciature counselor, as apostolic nuncio in Burundi, at the same time elevating him to the titular see of Vico Equense, with the dignity of archbishop.
Msgr. Dieudonné Datonou was born in Dékanmè, Benin, on 3 March 1962.
He was ordained a priest on 7 December 1989 and incardinated in the metropolitan archdiocese of Cotonou, Benin.
He holds a degree in Utroque Iure.
He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1995 and has worked in the Pontifical Representations in Angola, Ecuador, Cameroon, Iran, India, El Salvador, and in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
He speaks French, Italian, English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Appointment of bishop of San, Mali
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Hassa Florent Koné of the clergy of San, Mali, until now rector of the Saint Augustin Major Seminary of Bamako, as bishop of the diocese of San, Mali.
Msgr. Hassa Florent Koné was born on 17 February 1969 in Mina, diocese of Ségou, and entered the minor seminary of Togo (1983-1986). He attended the Pius XII Seminary and the Prosper Kamara High School of Bamako (1986-1989). He completed his studies in philosophy and in theology in the Saint Augustin Major Seminary of Bamako (1989-1996).
He was ordained a priest on 8 September 1996 for the diocese of San.
Following priestly ordination, he first held the following positions and studies: parish vicar in Sokoura (1996-2005); head of Liturgy, for the PP.OO.MM. and Catholic Action Movements; member of the diocesan finance council (1997-2005); secretary of the diocesan Commission for Liturgy (1999-2005); and head of the diocesan choir and secretary of the National Commission for Liturgy (2000-2005). He was then awarded a doctorate in liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm in Rome (2005-2011) and continued his training at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (2008-2011). Since 2014 he has also served as general treasurer of the Union of Priests of Mali and professor of traditional communication at the Université Catholique de l’Afrique de l’Ouest – Unité Universitaire of Bamako (UCAO-UUBA); since 2015, secretary of the National Commission for Liturgy; from 2011 to 2017, spiritual director and professor of liturgy in the Saint Augustin Major Seminary of Bamako, and from 2017 to date, rector of the same seminary and professor of liturgy.
Appointment of coadjutor bishop of Srijem, Serbia
The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Fabijan Svalina of the clergy of the metropolitan archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek, Croatia, until now director of National Caritas and the Croatian Catholic Network, as coadjutor bishop of Srijem, Serbia.
Msgr. Fabijan Svalina was born on 7 November 1971.
He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Đakovo on 29 June 1997.
He has held the following positions: parish vicar in Osijek from 1998 to 2004; educator and prefect in the inter-diocesan seminary in Zagreb from 2004 to 2008; secretary of the archiepiscopal ordinariate from 2008 to 2010; chancellor of the metropolitan archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek; deputy secretary of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference from 2010 to 2017; director of the National Caritas since 2010 and director of the Croatian Catholic Network, which brings together the Croatian Catholic Radio, the Catholic News Agency, and the New Media Platform since 2017.
