Bishop Couto takes over as new Archbishop of Delhi diocese

Pope Benedict XVI had announced the appointment of Bishop Couto in November last year following the resignation of Archbishop Concessao in 2010.

"I am thankful for considered worthy firstly for being a pastor, then a Bishop and now an Archbishop. I hope to continue the work of my predecessor Archbishop Concessao," said Couto, who served as Bishop of Jalandhar since 2007.

He asked people to take inspiration from the life of Jesus and live with love, justice, compassion and honesty.

The outgoing Archbishop Concessao congratulated Couto for the appointment and termed Couto as the most ideal person to succeed him.

"It's a homecoming for Archbishop Couto, who served with us earlier too as Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi," he said.

58-year-old Couto joined the minor seminary in 1967 and completed his theological studies from Vidyajyoti, Delhi. He was ordained priest for Delhi archdiocese on February 8, 1981.

He was earlier appointed Episcopal Vicar before he became Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi in 2001 and continued in that capacity till he was transferred to Jalandhar as Bishop in 2007.

Archbishop Concessao had served the Delhi archdiocese since September 2000 and passed the canonical retirement age in 2010.

Archbishop Concessao, who hails from Mangalore, had submitted his resignation when he turned 75 in September 2010, a rule followed by every archbishop or bishop. Church law demands all prelates to submit resignation on completion of 75 years.

The Delhi Archdiocese, formed in 1959, has some 1.05,000 Catholics in 61 parishes. The Archdiocese comprises the state of Delhi along with the districts of Gurgaon, Rohtak, Sonepat, Mahendragarh, Faridabad, Nuh, Jhajjar and Rewari of Haryana.

Jammu-Srinagar is a suffragan diocese of the archdiocese along with Jalandhar, Simla and Chandigarh dioceses. It currently has some 83 parishes, 78 educational institutions, and 16 hospitals and dispensaries.