Daijiworld News Network - with inputs from Fr Richard Lasrado, Mumbai
Belgaum, Feb 2: Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Fr. Peter Machado, currently the chancellor of the diocese of Karwar, as the new Bishop of Belgaum Diocese.
The See of Belgaum had been lying vacant following the transfer of the then Bishop Bernard B. Moras as the Archbishop of Bangalore in 2004.
Also, Msgr. Antony Chirayath, presently Bureau Chief Office of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of the Migrants and Itinerants (Vatican City) as the new Bishop of Sagar.
About Belgaum Diocese:
The Belgaum Diocese was erected on September 19, 1953 by the Papal Bull "Summa illa Sollicitudo" of Pope Pius XII. Two civil districts of Belgaum and North Kanara were separated from the Archdiocese of Goa and two other civil districts of Dharwad and Bijapur were taken from the Diocese of Pune in forming the Diocese of Belgaum.
The most Rev. Dr. Michael Rodrigues was appointed the first Bishop. By a the Papal Bull "Christi Missium" of Paul VI, the North Kanara District was separated from the Belgaum Diocese to form the Karwar Diocese on January 24, 1976.
It now consists of the civil districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri in Karnataka State and the Chandgad taluka in Kolhapur District of Maharashtra State.
Address:
Bishop of Belgaum
Bishop's House,
B.C. 69, Belgaum
Karnataka 590 001
Tel: (0831) 42 05 87
Fax: (0831) 42 42 26
E-mail: belgaumdiocese@rediffmail.com
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