By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, March 25, 2023: Pope Francis on March 25 promoted Auxiliary Bishop John Rodrigues of Bombay as the new bishop of Pune.
The 56-year-old prelate succeeds Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune, who resigned from the post as he had already crossed the mandatory retirement age of 75. Bishop Dabre had turned 77 on October 22, 2022.
This was announced at noon in Rome and corresponding time in India.
Bishop Rodrigues is currently the rector of Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai.
He was born on August 21, 1967, in Mumbai. His two elder brothers are priests. The eldest brother Savio Rodrigues is a priest of the archdiocese of Bombay and the second one Luke Rodrigues is a member of the Bombay Jesuit province.
Bishop Rodrigues was ordained a priest on April 18, 1998, for the Archdiocese of Bombay. After ordination, he served as the assistant parish priest at St. Michael Church, Mahim for a year, secretary of the Archbishop of Bombay during1999-2000, and professor of Systematic Theology at St. Pius X College for nine years from 2002.
He served as the secretary of the Bombay archdiocese’ Priests’ Council during 2010-2013, dean of the studies, St. Pius X College (2011-2013), Archdiocesan coordinator of the “Year of Faith” (2012-2013). Since 2013 he was the rector of St. Pius X College.
He obtained a licentiate in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay on May 15, 2013, and ordained bishop on June 29, the same year with Bishop Alwyn D’Silva. He is the member bishop of the CCBI Commission for Bible since 2019.
Dabre was unable to control the unruly priests and nuns, who were working against the spirit of Christianity, in Pune Diocese. Due to this, some Catholics were disappointed with him.
Let us appreciate that a new chapter is beginning
According to Newzwaves dated 25 March 2023 (report captioned “Cars, Cash, Chic Crazy Cleric Dabre Dismissed and Damned!) Bishop Dabre did not resign but was dumped by the Vatican. In fact according to the report, he had been to Delhi on 22 March 2023 to lobby for an extension with the Nuncio and also with the help of political powers.
The report says: “It will be very interesting to see how the incoming incumbent Bishop John Rodrigues handles the `Mountain of a Mess’ that he inherits from his predecessor. Newzwaves welcomes the new appointee who is reported to be a no-nonsense and tough administrator which is Pune Diocese’s need of the hour to clean the 15-year-old crumbled administration under Dabre.