Bombay auxiliary bishops-designate outline priorities

17 May, 2013 - Building the Body of Christ. This will be the motto of Fr. John Rodrigues, whom Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed one of the two Auxiliary Bishops of the Indian Archdiocese of Bombay, headed by Cardinal Oswald Gracias. The other Auxiliary Bishop is Fr. Savio Dominic Fernandes, currently the archdiocesan chancellor. Speaking about his appointment, Fr. Rodrigues who is dean of St. Pius X College at Goregaon, Bombay, told AsiaNews, "…the appointment of a bishop is also an opportunity to renew their faith in God.” “It's also a time to trust in God and I trust that God will give me the strength,” said the priest who is also coordinator of the Year of Faith in the Archdiocese. He hasn’t really thought about his motto as bishop but indicated it would be to build up the body of Christ in service. He spoke about the need for adult faith formation in Bombay Archdiocese, saying, “there are many who want to know more about the faith and have a great interest also in the scriptures and church's teaching". Fr. Fernandes regarded his appointment as God’s love poured onto him and his response would be to serve with love. He said will "defend life and the equality of man and woman," as well as stress the importance of rediscovering the holiness of everyday life. He said his priority will be to serve God in the most vulnerable, the weakest, the needy and downtrodden, especially women and girls. A significant part of his service will be to defend the sacredness of life, teach values, and teach the dignity of girls. Bombay is considered the most populous Catholic diocese in India having 521,000 Catholics, 591 priests and 10 permanent deacons. (Source: AsiaNews)