Subject: 'austraLasia' # 320

SALESIAN APPOINTED AS COADJUTOR ARCHBISHOP OF BELGRADE

via ANS

ROME: 30th March -- Fr. Stanislav Hocevar, Provincial of Slovenia, has been

appointed by the Holy Father as Coadjutor Archbishop of Belgrade, capital of

the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia. Fr. Stanislav was born in Slovenia in

1945. He entered the Salesians and completed all his studies both before

and after ordination in Jugoslavia (as it was then). In 1987, after working

in Formation, and after spending six years as Vice Provincial, he was

nominated Provincial of Slovenia. He was reconfirmed in office in 1993.

In the meantime, Archbishop-elect Hocevar has been involved in many of the

sensitive spots in ther egion, supporting and indeed advancing the Salesian

presence. Together with the Provincial of Southern Italy in 1992 he set up

the Salesian presence in Albania. Subsequently he has been involved in

supporting those confreres working not only in Albania, but also those who

entered Pristina and Podgoriza in Kosovo. His role as Provincial also meant

frequent visits to and support of confreres working in Belgrade and other

parts of the Rump Jugoslavia.