austraLasia 773
FR. LUC VAN LOOY APPOINTED AS BISHOP OF GHENT (Belgium)
ROME: 19th December, '03 - While there is little point in gilding the lily, as we say, it is also a fact that 'austraLasia' reaches some who do not receive ANS, and as it happens that the editor of ANS and of 'austraLasia' are temporarily the same person, it is appropriate to run the news here as well that Fr. Luc Van Looy, Vicar of the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has been appointed Bishop of Ghent (Belgium) today by the Holy Father.
Fr. Luc is well known to all members of the two Salesian regions covered by Australia-Pacific. As the official comunique from the Rector Major states, he was a missionary in Korea for some 15 years and also the Superior of the Salesians in that country when it was a Delegation. He was elected to the General Council as General Councillor for Missions, then Youth Ministry and finally as Vicar General of the Congregation (with responsibility for the Salesian Family as well).
Fr. Luc (we should say Bishop-elect Luc) is presently in Belgium - he left here (Generalate) yesterday in a tearing hurry saying only that he had 'urgent business to attend to in Belgium'. Indeed. He is expected to be back for the evening of the coming Monday and to speak to the community at the Generalate at that stage in a Good Night.
The Rector Major has expressed his gratitude to the Holy Father for this expression of trust in the Salesians and of course in Fr. Luc, and expressed to the Bishop-elect the gratitude and support of the whole Salesian Family. Privately, in his few words to the community here in Rome, the Rector Major also indicated that he felt like he had lost an arm - in fact his right arm!
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