Texas Priest Named New Bishop Of Orange Diocese

ORANGE (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest in North Texas has been named bishop of the diocese of Orange, Calif.

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday announced the appointment of Fort Worth Bishop Kevin Vann.

The 61-year-old Texas priest takes over for Bishop Todd Brown, who is retiring. Brown is 75.

Much of Brown's tenure was marked by a priest abuse scandal where he agreed to a $100 million settlement for 90 alleged victims.

Vann will be installed in December. He's led the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth since July 2005. The diocese serves about 710,000 congregants.

Vann will serve about 1.2 million Catholics in Southern California.

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