Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop William K. Weigand of Sacramento.He will be succeeded by Bishop Jaime Soto, who has been coadjutor of the diocese since Oct. 11, 2007, and is one of 26 active Hispanic Catholic bishops in the United States.
A coadjutor automatically becomes the head of the diocese upon the retirement or death of its bishop.
The announcement was made in Washington Nov. 29 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Head of the Sacramento Diocese since January 1994, Bishop Weigand is 71 years old, four years younger than the age at which canon law requires a bishop to turn in his resignation.
In April 2005 he had a liver transplant. His own liver was damaged by primary sclerosing cholangitis, an uncommon, progressive liver disease that causes scarring near the liver, which affects the organ's function. He first was diagnosed with the disease 27 years ago. In November 2004 doctors decided a transplant was necessary.
Despite his illness, Bishop Weigand has routinely put in six-day weeks during his tenure as head of the diocese.
But when his coadjutor was named last year, he said was pleased to have assistance in shepherding "this vast 20-county diocese."
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(Source: CNS)