Resignations and Appointments

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Balázs Bábel from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kalocsa-Kecskemét, Hungary. The Pope appointed Bishop Ferenc Palánki to succeed him as metropolitan archbishop.

Bishop Palánki currently serves as the bishop of the diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza. Born in Balassagyarmat in 1964, he was ordained a priest in 1994 and later served as an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese of Eger starting in 2011. His previous roles include serving as a parish priest in several locations, spiritual director at seminaries in Vác and Budapest, and vicar general of Eger. Within the Hungarian Episcopal Conference, he chairs the commissions for the clergy and consecrated life, the legal commission, and the doctrinal commission.