FARGO - Pope Benedict XVI has named the Rev. David Kagan, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck, to serve in a role that temporarily gives him the authority of the bishop in the Diocese of Fargo.
Kagan will take over the interim role Wednesday as the apostolic administrator of the Fargo Diocese, the same day Fargo Bishop Samuel Aquila will officially become the archbishop of the Denver Archdiocese.
The apostolic nuncio - the pope's representative and ambassador in the United States - along with the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops will begin the search for Fargo's new bishop and present their thoughts directly to the pope, who makes the final determination.
The process typically takes between eight months to a year or more, according to a news release from the Fargo diocese.
Bishop Kagan was ordained and installed as the seventh bishop of the Bismarck Diocese in 2011. He previous served in numerous pastoral capacities, including 17 years as Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Rockford, Ill.
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Aquila's appointment to the Denver archbishop post was announced in May.
