Resignation and appointment of bishop of Itanagar, India

Appointment of vicar apostolic of Calapan, Philippines

Erection of the diocese of Guéckédou, Guinea, and appointment of first bishop

Appointment of under-secretary of the Dicastery for Bishops

Resignation and appointment of bishop of Itanagar, India

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Itanagar, India, presented by Bishop John Thomas Kattrukudiyil.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Benny Varghese Edathattel, of the clergy of Kohima, until now parish priest of Saint Joseph’s Centre in Songlhuh, as bishop of the same diocese.

Curriculum vitae

Msgt. Benny Varghese Edathattel was born on 22 April 1970 in Njayappilly, in the Syro-Malabar eparchy of Kothamangalam, in Kerala. He attended the Good Shepherd Minor Seminary in Dimapur, then studied philosophy at the Salesian College in Dimapur and theology at Oriens Theological College in Shillong, and was ordained a priest on 19 April 1999 for the clergy of Kohima.

After ordination, he first held the roles of deputy parish priest of Saint Thomas Church and deputy head of the Saint John School, Tuensang (1999-2002); dean of studies and administrator of Saint Xavier’s Seminary, and director of the Agricultural Training cum Production Centre, Jalukie (2002-2004). He studied for a diploma in pastoral ministry and a master’s degree in pastoral theology specializing in small Christian communities, at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila, serving as deputy parish priest of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Marikina, in the Philippines (2004-2007). After serving as secretary to the bishop of Kohima and diocesan coordinator of Small Christian Communities (2007-2011), he continued his studies with a master’s degree in history from Gauhati University (2008-2010), and held the role of parish priest of Saint Peter’s in Kiphire, Nagalang (2011-2016). He was awarded a bachelor of education from Mirza Teachers’ Training College in Assam (2012-2013), and subsequently held the offices of administrator of Saint Joseph’s College in Jakhama and visiting professor at Oriens Theological College, Shillong (2016-2020). Since 2021, he is parish priest of Saint Joseph’s Centre in Songlhuh.

Appointment of vicar apostolic of Calapan, Philippines

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Moises Magpantay Cuevas, until now titular bishop of Maraguia and auxiliary of the archdiocese of Zamboanga, as vicar apostolic of Calapan, Philippines.

Erection of the diocese of Guéckédou, Guinea, and appointment of first bishop

The Holy Father has erected the new diocese of Guéckédou, Guinea, with territory taken from the diocese of Kankan and N’Zérékoré, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Conakry, Guinea.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Norbert Tamba Sandouno, of the clergy of Kankan, until now administrator of the parish of Saint Philippe of Houidou, as first bishop of Guéckédou.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Norbert Tamba Sandouno was born on 6 June 1967 in Koniandou, in the prefecture of Guéckédou. He attended the Saint John XXIII Minor Seminary in Kindia, the postulate of the Brothers of Saint John of God in Thiès, Senegal, and Kankan Seminary. He studied philosophy at the Saint Augustin Major Seminary in Bamako and sociology at the Université Gamal Abdel Nasser in Conakry. He then continued his studies in theology at the Saint Augustin Major Seminary in Bamako.

He was ordained a priest on 18 November 2007 for the clergy of Kankan.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Notre Dame du Rosaire, Guéckédou (2007-2008); vicar and then parish priest of Saint Bernard, Kondiadou (2008-2011); parish priest of Saint Louis, Kissidougou (2011-2013); parish priest of the Cathedral of Kankan, member of the Council of Consultors and head of the diocesan Justice and Peace Commission (2013-2015); parish priest of Sainte Rita and diocesan director of the PP.OO.MM. (2015-2016); parish priest of Notre Dame du Rosaire, Guéckédou, and episcopal vicar for the Pastoral Care of Families and the Laity (2016-2017); parish priest of Saint Louis, Kissidougou (2019-2021), and from 2021 to the present, administrator of Saint Philippe, Houidou, Guéckédou.

Statistical data

The newly-erected diocese of Guéckédou, Guinea, borders to the north with the diocese of Kankan, to the west with the diocese of Kenema, Sierra Leone, to the south with the diocese of Gbarnga, Liberia, and to the east with the diocese of N’Zérékoré. It covers an area of 35,476 square kilometres and includes four prefectures: Quéckédou, Kissidougou, Kérouané and Macenta.

It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Conakry. The see of the diocese is the city of Guéckédou. The Cathedral Church of the new ecclesiastical circumscription is the current parish church of Notre Dame du Rosaire.

Appointment of under-secretary of the Dicastery for Bishops

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Msgr. Ivan Kovač, until now official of the Dicastery for Bishops, as under-secretary of the same Dicastery.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Kovač was born on 28 March 1978 in Plaidt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was ordained a priest on 5 July 2003 for the diocese of Mostar-Duvno. He studied canon law at the “San Pio X” Faculty of Canon Law in Venice, Italy, and at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

In the diocese of his incardination he held various offices, including that of parish vicar, secretary to the bishop and judicial vicar. On 1 January 2012 he was appointed official at the former Congregation for Bishops.