New Delhi: Pope Francis Thursday created a new diocese and an exarchate for the Syro-Malankara Church.

Gurgaon diocese has been created for the Syro-Malankara Catholics living in Delhi and surrounding areas and Khadki exarchate for those living in western India.

He has appointed Mar Jacob Barnabas as its first bishop of Gurgaon and Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios as its first exarch of Khadki, near Pune.

The announcement was made simultaneously in Rome, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, where the Oriental Catholic Church is based.

Bishop Barnabas will stay at Mar Ivanios Bhavan, Neb Sarai, a suburb in south Delhi. St Mary’s Catholic Church in Neb Sarai is the new cathedral, said a press release from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India headquarters in New Delhi.

Bishop Anthonios will use St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Khadki as his cathedral and make his residence and curia in the cathedral complex, added the press release signed by CBCI Deputy Secretary General Monsignor Joseph Chinnayyan.

Bishop Barnabas is currently the apostolic visitor for Syro Malabar Catholics living outside Kerala. The Oriental Catholic Church’s territorial jurisdiction was limited to Kerala until now.

Bishop Anthonios is the present curia bishop, who coordinates the works of the central administrative center at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state. He is now in Australia to lead the Holy Week celebrations for the faithful there.

With the establishment of the new diocese and exarchate, Pope Francis has granted the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church ecclesiastical authority for the whole territory in India, says a press release from the Church’s spokesperson Father Varghese Mattamana.

Exarchate is an area that is not large enough to be constituted as an eparchy or diocese. The Syro Malankara Church has another exarchate for its faithful living Northern America and Europe.

Bishop Anthonios

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, head of the Syro Malankara Church, hailed the new dioceses as the fulfillment of the “long cherished dream” of Bishop Mar Ivanios, the founder of the Church.

Father Mattamana says Mar Ivanios had cherished a dream where his Church had canonical autonomy as well authority to preach all over India.

These two drams have been fulfilled with this announcement, the priest added.

The cardinal thanked Pope Francis, the Oriental Congregation, the Apostolic Nuncio to India and the Latin Hierarchy of India for their help in his Church’s growth.

The dioceses are created when the Church is celebrating the birth centenary of Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios, who initiated the missionary work of the Syro Malankara Catholics outside Kerala, Father Mattamana’s press release noted.

Cardinal Cleemis reminded his people that the recognition demanded their unwavering commitment to the Universal Church and faithfulness to the Holy See.

The Syro-Malankara Church has seven dioceses, one archdiocese, and a major archdiocese, besides the two exarchates.

With these two Oriental dioceses, the number of Catholic dioceses in India has gone up to 173.

The diocese of Gurgaon is spread over 22 states in north and northeastern regions of India. The Khadki exarchate is spread over six states in southern and western regions, barring Kerala.

Gurgaon diocese has 16 institutions, including two colleges, three higher secondary schools and two high schools.

It is served by 16 priests, come from various dioceses and Bethany congregation. It also has 29 religious women from Bethany, Daughters of Mary and Holy Spirit congregations.

Father Mattamana announcing the appointments

The diocesan Prechodana (inspiration) Social Service Society serves free lunch to those living in Delhi streets. The diocese also manages Shanti Ashram, a home for destitute at Jesola, south Delhi.

The new exarchate has 27 parishes managed by 21 priests. It also has three Benthany ashrams, 13 convents with 38 nuns, two colleges, three higher secondary schools and four high schools.

Gurgaon diocese has chosen St. John Chrysostom (the Greek name for Mar Ivanios) as its patron and the exarchate St Ephraem, a Syriac saint.

The Syro-Malankara Church is the youngest among 23 rites that make up the Catholic Church in the world. It is a faction of the Orthodox Church that joined the Catholic fold in 1930 under the leadership of Mar Ivanios, who is now Servant of God, the first in the four-stage process of canonization.