Pope Francis appoints new Indian bishop

Vatican City, 22 July  Pope Francis has named Joseph Kodakallil as Bishop of Satna in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.

Kodakallil has been serving as Pastor of St Vincent’s Cathedral in the diocese of Satna and holds a doctorate in liturgy from Rome's Pontifical Oriental Institute.

The 49-year-old was born in the village of Upputhode in India's coastal state of Kerala and trained as a priest in Satna. 

He studied philosophy in Ranchi in the state of Jharkhand and theology in Vadavathoor, Kerala.