THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has appointed Samuel Mar Irenius and Yuhannon Mar Theodosius as co-adjutor bishops for Pathanamthitta and Muvattupuzha respectively. They will automatically take over when the current bishops, Yuhannon Mar Chrysostom and Abraham Mar Julios, retire. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, made the announcement on Tuesday after obtaining the approval of Pope Francis.
Ordained as a priest in 1978, Samuel Mar Irenius is currently serving as auxiliary bishop of the Thiruvananthapuram major archdiocese. He was appointed a bishop in 2010. He is also a recipient of the C Kesavan Memorial Award. Yuhannon Mar Theodosius was ordained a priest in 1985. Appointed bishop in 2017, Yuhannon Mar Theodosius also serves as curia bishop at the Catholicate Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, and apostolic visitor for Europe and Oceania.