Chur Cathedral in Switzerland. Credit: Adrian Michael (CC BY-SA 3.0).
CNA Staff, Feb 16, 2021 / 04:00 am (CNA).- Pope Francis on Monday ended the deadlock over the appointment of a new bishop in a historic Swiss diocese that traditionally holds episcopal elections.
The Holy See press office said on Feb. 15 that the pope had named Msgr. Joseph Marie Bonnemain as bishop of Chur in eastern Switzerland.
Bonnemain, a 72-year-old member of Opus Dei, previously served as judicial vicar and canon of the cathedral chapter of Chur diocese. He succeeds Bishop Vitus Huonder, who retired on May 20, 2019, at the age of 77.
CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported that the diocese has seen fierce internal battles and the new bishop’s priority will be to heal divisions in the diocese.