Appointment of bishop of Daltonganj, India
Appointment of bishop of Kottapuram, India
Appointment of bishop of Amravati, India
Appointment of bishop of Gumla, India
Episcopal appointment of secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education
Appointment of bishop of Daltonganj, India
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, S.F.X., until now titular of Lisinia and auxiliary of the archdiocese of Ranchi and apostolic administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Daltonganj, as bishop of the same diocese of Daltonganj.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, S.F.X., was born on 9 November 1960 in Camurlim, in the archdiocese of Goa. He gave his first religious vows in the Society of Saint Francis Xavier on 14 June 1979, and was ordained a priest on 24 April 1988 for the same Society of Pilar. He was awarded a doctorate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
On 9 July 2014 he was appointed titular bishop of Lisinia and auxiliary of the archdiocese of Ranchi, receiving episcopal ordination on 30 August 2014.
From 2016 to 2019 he was secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Since 8 December 2021 he has also served as apostolic administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the diocese of Daltonganj.
Appointment of bishop of Kottapuram, India
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Ambrose Puthenveettil, of the clergy of the diocese of Kottapuram, India, until now rector of Saint Antony’s Shrine, as bishop of the same diocese.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Ambrose Puthenveettil was born on 21 August 1967 in Palliport, in the diocese of Kottapuram. He studied philosophy at Saint Peter’s Pontifical Institute in Bangalore and theology at the Collegium Canisianum in Innsbruck, Austria. He was awarded a licentiate in pastoral theology at the Leopold-Franzens-Universität in Innsbruck and a doctorate in missiology at the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 11 June 1995, for the diocese of Kottapuram.
He has held the following offices: secretary to the bishop (1995-1996); substitute at Saint Vincent Ferrer (1996); deputy parish priest of Saint Don Bosco (1996-1998); vice rector of the Saint Francis Assisi Major Seminary (1998-2001); deputy parish priest of Our Lady of Snow (2007-2008); professor at Saint Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary in Aluva (2008-2014); vice-rector of Saint Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary in Aluva (2014-2017); rector of Saint Antony’s Minor Seminary (2017-2019); parish priest of Saint Michael’s Catheral and vicar forane (2019-2022); and since 2022, rector of Saint Antony’s Shrine.
Appointment of bishop of Amravati, India
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Malcolm Sequeira, of the clergy of the diocese of Poona, until now vicar general of the same diocese and parish priest of Saint Anne’s Church, as bishop of the diocese of Amravati, India.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Malcolm Sequeira was born on 4 November 1961 in Giriz, in the diocese of Vasai. He studied philosophy and theology at Saint Pius X College in Mumbai.
He was ordained a priest on 13 April 1996 for the diocese of Poona.
After ordination, he first served as priestly assistant at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (1996-1998) and diocesan director of the Basic Christian Communities (1998-2003). He was awarded a licentiate in social communications from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2005), and went on to serve as diocesan director for social communications and head of public relations (since 2005); rector of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (2008-2013); diocesan consultor (since 2009); vicar general (since 2012); director of the Property Office (2013-2016); parish priest of the Divine Mercy Church (2016-2019) and parish priest of Saint Anne’s Church (since 2019).
Appointment of bishop of Gumla, India
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Linus Pingal Ekka, of the clergy of the diocese of Gumla, India, until now diocesan administrator, as bishop of the same See.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Linus Pingal Ekka was born on 23 September 1961 in Chainpur, in the diocese of Gumla. He obtained a Master of Arts from Saint Aloysius College in Jabalpur, and was awarded a licentiate in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 22 January 1994 for the diocese of Gumla.
After ordination, he first served as deputy parish priest and then parish priest of Dalmadi (1994-1995), and rector of the preparatory seminary of Karondabera (1995-1997 and 1999-2000). He was awarded a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbanian University, at the same time providing pastoral service in the archdiocese of Udine (1997-1999). He went on to hold the offices of visiting professor at Saint Albert’s Regional College in Ranchi (2000-2002); residential professor and prefect of the Department of Philosophy at Saint Albert’s Regional College in Ranchi (2002-2011); parish vicar in Ampezzo, in the archdiocese of Udine (2011-2017); chancellor of the diocese of Gumla and head of matrimonial cases (2017-2020); judicial vicar and judge of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal (2019-2020); and since 2021, diocesan administrator of Gumla.
Episcopal appointment of secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Msgr. Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as titular bishop of Bellicastrum, conferring him the personal title of Archbishop.
