Bishop Remi De Roo of Victoria Retires

Thursday, March 18 1999

(CCCB — Ottawa) — His Holiness Pope John Paul II today accepted the resignation of Bishop Remi De Roo after 36 years of episcopal service in the Diocese of Victoria. Bishop De Roo has served the longest of the current bishops in Canada. He was one of two remaining active bishops in Canada to have participated in the Second Vatican Council.

Most Rev. Raymond Roussin, SM, named Coadjutor-Bishop of Victoria last September, now succeeds Bishop De Roo who reached the mandatory age of retirement on February 24.

Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law stipulates that a diocesan bishop is required to present his resignation to the Pope on attaining the age of 75. However, Canon 403 allows for a coadjutor-bishop to be appointed by the Pope prior to the resignation, permitting a smooth transitional period.

Until his nomination in September, Bishop Roussin had been Bishop of Gravelbourg in Saskatchewan. The diocese was dissolved in a reorganization of dioceses that saw Gravelbourg integrated into the neighbouring dioceses of Regina and Saskatoon.

The Diocese of Victoria has a Catholic population of 90,000 people in 31 parishes and missions, served by 48 priests, four religious brothers and 86 religious sisters.