New Delhi: Pope Francis has appointed Father Antony Kariyil, a former superior general of the Carmelite of Mary Immaculate congregation, as the new bishop of Mandya in Karnataka. The Pope has also expanded the territory of the Syro-Malabar diocese. This was announced at noon in Rome (3:30 in India) on August 26. It was simultaneously announced at the Synod of Syro Malabar bishops now underway at Mount St Thomas in Kochi, Kerala. Fr Kariyil, who is currently the director of Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kochi, is the second bishop of Mandya. He born on March 26, 1950, in Chalil parish near Cherthala in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. He made his first profession in CMI congregation in 1967 and final profession four years later. He was ordained priest on December 27, 1977. The bishop-elect has a doctorate in Social Sciences and has worked as the CMI prior general. He was also the president of the Conference of Religious India, the national association of religious major superiors. He also served as the principal of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences and Christ College, Bangalore. Mandya diocese or eparchy was erected on January 18, 2010, bifurcating Mananthavady diocese. Bishop George Njaralakkatt was appointed as its first Bishop of Mandya. The new appointment was necessitated since Bishop Njaralakatt was promoted as the archbishop of Tellicherry. Mandya diocese will now include Chickballapur, Kolar, Ramnagar and Tumkur districts, besides Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural. Until now the diocese comprised the civil districts of
Mandya, Hassan, Mysore and Chamarajnagar. Before the diocese was set, Mandya district was under the Missionary Society of St. Thomas the Apostle and Hassan was under CMI and Mysore and Chamrajnagar were under Mananthavady diocese.