LONDON, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian bishop who urged his faithful and priests that “getting the vaccine to fight C-19” was essential to stop the virus, banned communion on the tongue, and stressed the importance of wearing masks resigned as required by canon law due to age.

In a press release, the Diocese of London, Ontario, said that Pope Leo XIV “announced today that he has accepted the resignation of Bishop Ronald Fabbro and appointed Bishop Daniel Miehm to be the next Bishop of the Diocese of London.”

“Bishop Fabbro has served as the Bishop of London since 2002 and offered his resignation prior to his 75th birthday in 2025 in accordance with the requirements of canon law,” the press release stated.

Fabbro, 75, has been covered by LifeSiteNews, notably most recently for this strong promotion of the abortion-tainted COVID shots and mandates.

In 2022, Fabbro again urged his faithful to take the abortion-tainted COVID injections and wear masks in church buildings.

“We have made incredible progress in our fight against COVID-19 (C-19), but we are now facing some imminent threats that will likely cause further spread of the virus and related health challenges for many,” Fabbro wrote to his flock.

“The vast majority of medical professionals emphasize the importance of getting the vaccine to fight C-19,” Fabbro continued. “These are readily available for almost all ages of children, youth, and adults.”

Fabbro’s promotion of the mRNA COVID “vaccines” comes even though the injections are tainted with fetal tissue from aborted babies. This led many Catholics to avoid the shots for conscience reasons.

Taking Fabbro’s place is Miehm, who will be installed on Monday, June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London.

Miehm served as a priest in the Diocese of Hamilton from 1989 to 2013 before he was appointed by Pope Francis as a bishop and ordained on May 7, 2013

He has served as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough from 2017.

Fabbro said of Miehm that he is “confident that he will be a good shepherd to the faithful of the Diocese.”

“He comes to us with a wealth of experience as Bishop of Peterborough. He is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our Diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands,” Fabbro noted.

In December 2020, Bishop Fabbro banned communion on the tongue and enforced mask mandates, warning priests that noncompliance could result in “prosecution.”

In 2021, Fabbro went a step further and mandated COVID injections for all priests and parish workers in his diocese, a move that led to significant backlash from faithful Catholics both locally and nationally.

Today, the Canadian government has had to admit the harms caused by the COVID shots. Recently, it tacitly admitted that key death data relating to the mRNA-based COVID injections were withheld from public reporting, citing supposed privacy concerns.

The mRNA shots have also been linked to a multitude of negative and often severe side effects in children, and all have connections to cell lines derived from aborted babies.

LifeSiteNews has published an extensive amount of research on the dangers of the experimental COVID mRNA jabs that include heart damage and blood clotting.