By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, Jul 3, 2024: Pope Francis on July 3 appointed Father Elias Frank as the bishop of Asansol, a diocese in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
The 61-year-old bishop-elect is a member of the diocese and currently teaches Canon Law at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.
The diocese was without a prelate after the retirement of Bishop Cyprian Monis on April 4, 2020. It was administered by Emeritus Bishop Salvadore Lobo, who had retired as the prelate of Baruipur, another diocese in West Bengal state, along with Bishop Monis.
Bishop-elect Frank was born on August 15, 1962, at Bantwal, Infant Jesus Parish, in the diocese of Mangalore. After completing school studies in the parish school at Modankap, higher secondary studies from St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, he joined the Archdiocese of Calcutta in 1983.
His minor seminary formation was at St. John Mary Vianney Seminary in Barasat, philosophy at Morning Star Regional Seminary in Barrackpore and theology at Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. He was ordained a priest on April 23, 1993, at Our Lady of Happy Voyage Church in Howrah.
After ordination, he served as a parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Church, Burdwan from 1993 to 1995. During 1995-1996 he served as the priest-in-charge of of Kristo Jyothi Church, Basinda, and from 1996 to 1999 he was a parochial vicar again at Sacred Heart Church, Burdwan.
After the creation of Asansol diocese, from 2002 to 2003 he was the parish administrator of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish, Durgapur; and from 2005 to 2006 he was the parish priest of Sacred Heart Church, Burdwan.
During 2005-2006, he served as judge at the Inter-Diocesan Tribunal of Kolkata. From 1999 to 2001 he did his higher studies at Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, and earned Licentiate in Canon Law in 2001-2002, Diploma in Jurisprudence and in 2003-2004 Doctorate in Canon Law.
In 2007, he became a professor of “The Sanctifying office of the Church” in the faculty of Canon Law at the same university. Since 2020 he has also been a visiting professor at Accademai Alfonsiana.
He has published two books and numerous articles in various scientific journals. He has served as editor of the journal lus Missionale, external judge of the First Instance Tribunal of the Vicariate of Rome, Consultor of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and Commissioner for in favorem fidei marriage cases at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, says a press release from the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India.