By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi: Pope Francis on June 29 transferred Bishop Sebastian Kallupura of Buxar to Patna archdiocese as the coadjutor. Both the dioceses are in Bihar, eastern India.

On the same day, the pontiff accepted the resignation of Bishop Jude Gerald Paulraj A of Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, and appointed Archbishop Antony Pappusamy of Madurai as the diocese’s apostolic administrator.

Both appointments were announced at noon in Rome and its corresponding time in India, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

Bishop Kallupura has been the Buxar bishop since June 21, 2009. Earlier, he had served Patna archdiocese as pastor in various parishes. He was also assistant treasurer and director the archdiocesan social apostolate as well as the Bihar Social Forum.

He was born July 14, 1952, at Teekoy in the diocese of Palai, Kerala. He joined Mission Home in Palai in 1971 for Patna, which was then a diocese. He was ordained a priest on May 14, 1984. He holds a Bachelor of Education from Bombay University.

Bishop Paulraj, who turned 75 on April 28, has served Palayamkottai diocese since 2000.