On June 1, Pope Francis merged two Italian dioceses, the Diocese of Cuneo (founded in 1817) and the Diocese of Fossano (founded in 1592), creating the Diocese of Cuneo-Fossano in the Italian province of Cuneo.
Since 1999, when Pope St. John Paul II appointed Bishop Natalino Pescarolo (Fessano’s bishop since 1992) as the bishop of Cuneo as well, the two dioceses have been united in persona episcopi [in the person of the bishop].
When Bishop Pescarolo retired in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Father Giuseppe Cavallotto as both the new bishop of Cuneo and the new bishop of Fossano. Likewise, when Bishop Cavallotto retired in 2015, Pope Francis appointed Father Piero Delbosco as both the new bishop of Cuneo and the new bishop of Fossano.
In creating the new Diocese of Cuneo-Fossano, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Delbosco as its first bishop.
Since 2019, Pope Francis has united Italian dioceses in persona episcopi with great frequency. The merger of the Diocese of Cuneo and the Diocese of Fossano, then, may presage many more diocesan mergers.