PANJIM: Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Fr Dominic Savio Fernandes, a priest of Goan origin, and Fr John Rodrigues, as Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Bombay.
An announcement to this effect was made simultaneously by the Vatican and at the Archbishop’s House in Bombay at 3.30 pm on Wednesday. The Episcopal Consecration of the two new Bishops is planned for June 29.
The Auxiliary Bishops are appointed in the dioceses to assist the Archbishop in the pastoral care of the people, according to the stipulations of Canon Law and the specific arrangements in each case.
Bishop-elect Domnic Savio Fernandes (59), who traces his roots to Chinvar-Anjuna, was born in Mumbai in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1989.
Bishop-elect John Rodrigues (46), an East Indian, was born in Bandra-Mumbai in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1998. After a brief stint as secretary at Archbishop’s House, he specialized in dogmatic theology in Rome, and has been dean of studies at St Pius X College in Goregaon. He is also Secretary of the Priests Council and in charge of the Diocesan programmes for the Year of Faith.
The Holy Father has assigned him the Titular See of Deulto.
Spread over an area of 10,103 sq kms, the Archdiocese of Bombay has 520,932 Catholics out of a population of 20,121,000, of which the Catholic community includes priests (591), permanent deacons (10) and religious (1,951).