Pope Francis today made episcopal appointments in India and Brazil. They were announced by the Vatican.
Resignation and appointment of bishop of Ambikapur, India
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Ambikapur, India, presented by Bishop Patras Minj, S.J.
The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Antonis Bara of the clergy of Ambikapur, until now vicar general, as bishop of the same diocese.
Msgr. Antonis Bara was born on 2 March 1958 in Shobha, Bahora, in the diocese of Jashpur. He studied philosophy at Saint Albert’s Seminary in Ranchi and theology at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 13 May 1988 for the diocese of Ambikapur. He was awarded a doctorate in pastoral theology (missiology) from the Theological Faculty of Triveneto in Padua, Italy.
After priestly ordination, he held the following offices: co-pastor, teacher in the parish school (1988-1989) and parish priest (1996-1998) in Ratasili; parish priest in Bargawan (1989-1992); parish priest (1992-1996) and vicar general of Ambikapur (1998-2005). He then carried out his specialist studies and provided pastoral service in Padua, Italy (2005-2014). Upon returning to India he served as parish priest in Balrampur (2014-2015), and from 2015 to the present he has been vicar general and pastor of the Cathedral.
Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Vitória, Brazil
The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Vitória, Brazil, the Reverend Andherson Franklin Lustoza de Souza, of the clergy of the diocese of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, until now professor of biblical theology and parish vicar of Nosso Senhor dos Passos in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-ES, assigning him the titular see of Tituli in Numidia.
Msgr. Andherson Franklin Lustoza de Souza was born on 3 November 1969 in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the diocese of the same name in the State of Espírito Santo.
He studied philosophy at the Bom Pastor Seminary in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (1995) and theology at the Instituto de Filosofia e Teologia da Arquidiocese de Vitória (1999). He then obtained his licentiate (2004) and doctorate (2009) in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 25 March 2000 and incardinated in the diocese of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, where he was parish administrator of Senhora Sant’Ana in Apiacá-ES (2000-2001), parish priest of Sagrado Coração de Jesus in Itaipava-ES (2009-2016) and diocesan pastoral coordinator (2016-2021).
To date, he has held the following positions: member of the College of Consultors and the Presbyteral Council, diocesan counsellor for Initiation to Christian Life (since 2019), parish vicar of Nosso Senhor dos Passos in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-ES (since 2016), professor of biblical theology in the Instituto de Filosofia e Teologia da Arquidiocese de Vitória (since 2009), professor and academic director of the Escola Diaconal Santo Estevão in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-ES, and professor in the Instituto Teológico Dom Hermínio Malzone Hugo of the diocese of Governador Valadares-MG.
