OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the eparchy of Idukki of the Siro-Malabars, India with territory taken from the eparchy of Kothamangalam, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Siro-Malabars.

- Appointed Fr. Mathew Anikizhikattil, rector of the Major Seminary of the eparchy of Kothamanglam of the Siro-Malabars as bishop of Idukki. The bishop-elect was born in Kunchithanny, India in 1942 and was ordained a priest in 1971.

- Erected the eparchy of Muvattupuzha of the Siro-Malankars (population 6,600,000, Catholics 18,120, priests 37, religious 97), India with territory taken from the eparchy of Tiruvalla of the Siro-Malankars, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Trivandrum of the Siro-Malankars.

- Appointed Bishop Thomas Mar Koorilos Chakkalapadickal, auxiliary of the eparchy of Tiruvalla of the Siro-Malankars, as bishop of the eparchy of Muvattupuzha.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Soares Filho, O.F.M.Cap., general bursar of his order in Rome, as coadjutor bishop of Carolina (area 18,252, population 148,000, Catholics 115,000, priests 8, permanent deacons 1, religious 13), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Itapetim, Brazil in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1991.

- Accepted the resignation from the office of Auxiliary of the diocese of Eger, Hungary presented by Bishop Endre Kovacs, O.Cist., upon having reached the age limit.

ECE; NER; NEC; RE;...;...;...;VIS;20030115;Word: 190;