The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has a new prefect. Here is a translation of the announcement from yesterday’s Bolletino of the Vatican press office:

The Holy Father Benedict XVI accepted the resignation presented, on account of age limits, by the Most Eminent Cardinal William Joseph Levada from his duties as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei,” of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and of the International Theological Commission, and has called to succeed him in the same duties His Excellency Monsignor Gerhard Ludwig Müller, hitherto Bishop of Regensburg, elevating him at the same time to the dignity of Archbishop.

Yes, I could have broken this up into a few independent sentences but I thought it was more diverting to leave it as a single sentence as it is in the Italian original.

The resignation and appointment are no surprise to anyone who has been following the speculations of the Vaticanisti. But it’s still important news.