Pope Benedict XVI creates new diocese in the Philippines

Yep, the pope can do this sort of thing:

Pope Benedict XVI has created a new diocese in the Philippines and named its bishop.

An article posted on CBCP Web site said the Pope elevated the Prelature of Libmanan in Camarines Sur and appointed Fr. Jose Rojas, 52, as its bishop.

... The Libmanan diocese has nearly 500,000 Catholics. It has 27 parishes and 51 priests.

Following the Pope’s order, the Philippine Catholic Church now has a total of 16 archdioceses, 52 dioceses, seven apostolic vicariates, five territorial prelatures, and one military ordinariate.

Cool - it's wonderful seeing the Church grow. The successor to Peter lives!