Pope appoints two new bishops in India, Pakistan

Pope Francis has appointed two new bishops in India and Pakistan.  On Saturday he appointed Fr. Eugene Joseph  as the bishop of Varanasi Diocese in north India.   Since the transfer of Bishop Raphy Manjaly ‎to Allahabad Diocese in Oct. 2013, Fr. Joseph has been serving as Diocesan Administrator of Varanasi.

Born in the Archdiocese of Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, Oct. 8, 1958 Fr. Joseph studied philosophy and theology at St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur, as a seminarian of Varanasi Diocese. After his priestly ordination 1985, he earned degrees in education, English and business administration.  He also served the diocese in various capacities, such as parish priest, teacher, ‎ vice-rector of the minor seminary,  principal of St. John Inter-College,  director of the regional bishops’ pastoral centre, director of St. Mary’s Hospital and  School of Nursing.

Earlier on Friday, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Benny Mario Travas the new bishop of Multan Diocese in Pakistan.  The diocese has been without a head since Bishop Andrew Francis stepped down in June 2014.  For the past 9 months Fr. Travas has been the Apostolic Administrator of Multan.  

Fr. Travas who was born in 1966 a Karachi, did his ecclesiastical studies at the major and minor seminaries of Karachi following which he was ordained a priest in December, 1990 for Karachi.  Later in 1997 he obtained a licentiate in Canon Law from Rome’s Pontifical Urban University.  Back home, he served as Vicar General of Karachi, rector of the minor seminary of St. Pius X and taught as the National Catholic Institute of ‎Theology in Karachi.   He was also a judge at the diocesan tribunal.