Pope appoints two bishops in Kerala, India

(May 9, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday appointed bishops to two dioceses in the southernIndia’s Kerala state. Bishop Joseph Kariyil of Punalur has been transferred to Cochin. And Fr. Selvister Ponnumuthan has been nominated the new bishop of Punalur. The 52-year old priest from Neyyattinkara diocese is the rector of St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Carmelgiri. Fr. Ponnumuthan was born on Aug. 10, 1956 at Viraly-Utchakkada in Kerala. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1981, for Trivandrum diocese, and later was incardinated into the new diocese of Neyyattinkara in 1996. As a priest he has been mainly engaged in pastoral and formation fields. In 2008 he was St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary. The diocese of Punalur, created in 1985, is a suffragan of Trivandrum archdiocese of the Latin rite. In an area of voer 5,000 sqkms, the diocese has nearly 46,000 Catholics who are served by 54 priests and 287 religious in 33 parishes. Bishop Kariyil who is now transferred to Cochin has been heading Punalur diocese since 2005. Meanwhile Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop John Thattumkal of Cochin.