Ailing Pope Francis appoints Richard Smith new Archbishop of Vancouver

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.

In a letter to members of the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, Smith said he is grateful to Pope Francis "for the confidence placed in me to assume this new mission."

He said it has been an "extraordinary privilege" to serve as Archbishop of Edmonton for nearly 18 years.

"Within my heart I hold a particular appreciation for the priests, deacons, and consecrated women and men with whom I have enjoyed a close collaboration," he said in the letter.

Smith will remain in office until his formal installation, which will likely take place in May, the Edmonton archdiocese said.

The Vatican announced Smith's appointment as the 88-year-old 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.