Pope Francis has appointed Peter Štumpf, the bishop of Murska Sobota, a diocese in north-eastern Slovenia, as the new bishop of Koper on the coast.

Štumpf, 62, succeeds Jurij Bizjak, who had to submit his resignation on turning 75 two and a half years ago in accordance with canon law. Pope Francis has now accepted his resignation and appointed Bishop Štumpf in his place.

As a result, the Diocese of Murska Sobota will remain without bishop and will be looking for a new one, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference explained as it announced the appointment on 29 November.

Until Štumf is installed in his new post, both bishops will continue to work in their respective dioceses. It is not yet known when the installation will take place.

Bizjak has led the Koper Diocese since 2012. Štumpf will become the fourth bishop of Koper since it was re-established as an independent diocese in October 1977 having previously been part of the Diocese of Trieste-Koper.

Centuries-old diocese

The origins of of the Koper diocese go back to the 6th century. Known for its multi-cultural character, today it covers western Slovenia, from the area along the Soča up north to Bovec and to Ilirska Bistrica in the south.

Štumpf, who hails from Murska Sobota, graduated from Mariology in Italy's Turin in 1989 and was consecrated priest in 1990. He obtained a master's degree in 1994 and a doctorate in 2002.

As a chaplain and parish priest, he served in the parishes of Rakovnik in Ljubljana, Sevnica, Ig, Zabukovje nad Sevnico, Maribor (St John Bosco Church) and Veržej.

A member of the Salesian order, Štumpf was appointed auxiliary bishop of Maribor on 24 May 2006, and bishop of Murska Sobota on 28 November 2009.

A connoisseur of Prekmurje history, especially the social and religious conditions at the end of the 19th century, he is also a lecturer and writes for several Slovenian religious media.

Andrej Saje, the bishop of Novo Mesto and head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, described Štumpf's appointment as an expression of great trust by Pope Francis.

Saje wished him to continue to strengthen the Christian community and to develop "beautiful relations between the different religions and cultures that have characterised and resided in the territory of the Diocese of Koper for centuries."

The Catholic Church is Slovenia is administratively divided into two metropolitan areas, Ljubljana and Maribor. Each has three dioceses. Along with the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Koper and Novo Mesto form the former, and the Archdiocese of Maribor forms the latter together with the dioceses of Murska Sobota and Celje.