VATICAN CITY
CBS 2
(CBS) VATICAN CITY The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet is getting a new bishop.
The Vatican on Tuesday said Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Monsignor James Peter Sartain bishop in Joliet. Sartain is currently the bishop in Little Rock, Ark.
Sartain will replace Bishop Joseph Imesch, who like all bishops must resign when he turns 75.
Imesch will turn 75 on June 21. He was ordained in December of 1956 and has been bishop in Joliet since August of 1979.
Imesch has scheduled a news conference at 10 a.m., but the Joliet diocese was not releasing further information before that time.
The Joliet diocese has been under fire recently following abuse allegations of sexual abuse by priests. A class-action lawsuit was filed against the diocese in February seeking to force church officials to release the names of all priests and other employees accused of molesting children since 1950.