Pope erects New Syro-Malabar diocese for Northern India

March 6, 2012: Pope Benedict XVI has erected a new eparchy of Faridabad for the Syro-Malabar church in India, and appointed Kuriakose Bharanikulangara as its first Bishop. Archbishop Kuriakose, belongs to the Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese of the Syro-Malabar church, and is currently the Counsellor at the Apostolic Nuncio in Germany.
Archbishop Bharanikulangara was born on 1 February 1959 in Karippassery, in Kerala. He was ordained priest on 18^th December 1983 and were entrusted with the duties of Assistant Vicar in the parish of Tripunithura and Co-editor of Satyadeepam weekly. Posted in Rome, he obtained a licentiate in canon law and a doctorate in canon law from Eastern Europe. He served in various diplomatic missions and lately at the Pontifical Representations Permanent Observer Mission to the UN in New York before transferring to the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany as Advisor.
In addition to Malayalam and English, he speaks Italian, French, German and Spanish.
As a new Bishop of Faridabad, Archbiishop Bharanikulangara will be a member of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.
The Holy Father wanted to provide pastoral care of the numerous Syro-Malabar faithful in the new Eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Faridabad, whose headquarters are located in the Northern Indian State of Haryana.

The district has 23 parishes and other pastoral centers, managed by 44 priests and religious. There are 13 religious congregations operating on the Faridabad Eparchy with over 200 members. There are 3 Catholic schools and four hospitals there. The Church of Christ the King Cathedral in Faridabad become Eparchial.