By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, Dec 30, 2023: Pope Francis on December 30 appointed an archbishop and three bishops in India.
The Pope transferred Bishop Vincent Aind of Bagdogra, a diocese in West Bengal, to Jharkhand state as the new archbishop of Ranchi, the mother diocese of India’s tribal Church.
He also promoted Auxiliary Bishop Barthol Barretto of Bombay as the bishop of Nashik in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
The two new bishops-elect are Father Peter Rumal Kharadi as the bishop of Jhabua in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Father Bernard Lancy Pinto as the bishop of Aurangabad, another diocese in Maharashtra.
At the same time the Pope accepted the resignations of Jesuit Archbishop Felix Toppo of Ranchi and Bishop Lourdunada Daniel after they crossed 75 years, the age limit of a Catholic bishop.
The announcements were made at 12 noon in Rome and its corresponding time in India.
Archbishop-elect Aind was born on January 30, 1955, in Kalchini in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal.
Pope Francis appointed the bishop of Bagdogra on April 7, 2015, and Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, then archbishop of Ranchi, consecrated him on June 14 that year.
He was made a bishop while serving as the dean of the philosophy department in the Morning Star Regional Seminary in West Bengal.
After his ordination for Jalpaiguri diocese in 1984, he served it in different capacities as assistant parish priest, parish priest, besides working as professor, spiritual director and rector of Morning Star Regional Seminary.
He is currently the chairman of the Commission for Theology and Doctrine under the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (Latin rite).
Bishop Barretto was born on September 16, 1961, in Mumbai, and was ordained a priest on April 8, 1989, for Bombay archdiocese. He served as director of Youth at the Pastoral Centre, parish priest in Panvel and Thane, secretary to the archbishop, and parish priest in Goregaon and Borivali.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay on December 20, 2016, and consecrated on January 28, 2017. In the Bombay archdiocese, he is bishop-in-charge of the Small Christian Communities, Youth and Associations. Presently, he is in charge of Social Communications and of the Charismatic Movement. He is the Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Family.
Bishop-elect Kharadi was born on April 10, 1959, in Kaldela, Thandla Parish, at that time in the diocese of Ajmer and presently in Jhabua diocese. He studied Philosophy and Theology at St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur, and was ordained a priest on April 6, 1988, for Udaipur diocese in Rajasthan.
In 2002, when the diocese of Jhabua was created, he was incardinated in it. He was vicar general of Jhabua diocese. Since 2018, he has been the regional secretary for SCCs, Laity and Family Life Commission and since May 24, 2021, he has served as the administrator Jhabua diocese, after the death of Basil Bhuriya from Covid-19.
Bishop-elect Pinto was born on August 20, 1963, in Diva, Thane District, Maharashtra. He was ordained a priest on January 16, 1993, for the Archdiocese of Bombay.
Among his many assignments were the chaplain to Young Christian Workers, Mumbai, and assistant director, Joseph Cardijn Technical School.
It’s very easy to pass the buck on the Vatican and the Holy Spirit. Based on the observation of Fr Sunil, “no one knows exactly how this (selection of Bishop) takes place,” there is an urgent need to evolve a system by which the faithful know the criteria and methods of selection of their bishop. They have a right to know because they are the ones who arrange all the finance for running a diocese.
Going by the contention “why in some of the North Indian dioceses only a particular community dominates in the appointment of bishops”, it is very difficult to accept that “It’s (selection of a bishop) the work of the Holy Spirit.” It is proven beyond doubt that it’s the handiwork of a few men (who claim they were entirely guided by the Holy Spirit).
Also there is no known involvement of members of Laity of a diocese for whom Bishops are chosen. There is an urgent need for the direct involvement of a cross-section of laypersons in the selection of bishops. These persons should not be handpicked by a Bishop of the diocese for which a bishop is to be chosen. The grapevine news is that bishops normally get their petitions/recommendations endorsed by a close circle of coteries who continually hold office of various church action groups.
It must be understood very clearly that Bishops (and also parish priests) are to serve members of Laity. So it is a MUST to get prior feedback from a cross-section of members of Laity where a bishop is to be chosen. This can be done through a suitable questionnaire which may be designed and circulated among members of Laity and clergy beforehand for ratification. The dioceses of Bagdogra and Jalpaiguri and also the Archdiocese of Calcutta are fit cases for this exercise.
During the Varanasi Convention of Indian Catholic Forum (ICF) held in February 2023, under the initiative of chhotebhai (Convenor), a resolution was unanimously adopted that bishops/archbishops should be transferred every ten years.
In the Choice of Bishops n Archbishops no one knows exactly how this takes place. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Vatican appoints after much scrutiny with Terna etc n knows better who is most fit to govern n shepherd the diocese/Archdiocese. After the appointment no one shud question why certain individuals r appointed in so called wrong places or region. When the running Church administration does not do their proper homework for succession Vatican steps in someone who may not be fit in clergy n peoples’ eyes but Holy Spirit takes charge of such leaders to help and guide. In the case of Bengal the appointment of Raiganj Bishop was brought from outside Bengal whereas the appointment of Baruipur diocese was the son of the soil who was well groomed to take up shepherding the home diocese. I would like to express my anxiety in this respect why in some of the North Indian dioceses only a particular community dominates in the appointment of bishops. The recent appointment of Bishop in Asansol after much hue n cry was imported from
Italy to run the diocese? Bengal has a vacant diocese in Bagdogra n very soon in Jalpaiguri. Will the sons of the soil be appointed as Bishops in these two respective dioceses or the dominating group will play its tactics to grab the opportunity to fill up the gaps. Only Holy Spirit can give answer to the dynamics in the appointment of Bishops or Archbishops.
The selection of Bishop Vincent Aind of Bagdogra as the new Archbishop of Ranchi is like the uprooting a tree from its natural environment and transplanting it (possibly wrongly) to a totally new area. It is also not in keeping with the `son-of-the-soil’ convention. Bishop Vincent Aind is born and brought up in Bengal and very much ingrained in the teaching and overall administration of Morning Star Regional Seminary, Barrackpore, West Bengal. Several priests in the know of ground realities have told me Bishop Aind is generally liked by all priests in Bengal and would have been the right choice to replace Calcutta Archdiocese’s Archbishop Thomas D’Souza who is due to retire in two years’ time. To them meritocracy apart, there is more to this transfer than meets the eye.
Praise the lord 🙏