Ailing Pope Frances appoints new Archbishop of Vancouver

Archbishop Richard Smith shares his observations regarding his trip to Rome, in Edmonton on Monday ,April 4, 2022. Pope Francis, who is hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, has named a new archbishop for Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Pope Francis, who is hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, has named a new archbishop for Vancouver.

The Vancouver archdiocese says the Pope appointed Archbishop Richard Smith and accepted the resignation of J. Michael Miller.

In accordance with church law, Miller submitted his resignation on his 75th birthday in 2021 but had been asked to stay in office until his successor's arrival.

Smith, who had been serving as Archbishop of Edmonton, was the general co-ordinator of the pontiff's July 2022 trip to Canada, where he apologized for the Roman Catholic Church's role in residential schools and later called the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced a genocide.

The Vatican announced the appointment as the 88-year-old Pope Francis remains in critical condition despite a slight improvement after 11 days in hospital.

He was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state to approve new decrees for possible saints and make governing decisions.

— With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.

The Canadian Press