Mangaluru: Fr Peter Paul Saldanha has been appointed as 14th Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese after retirement age of Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza.

Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed a new bishop in Mangalore Diocese. Fr. Peter Paul Saldanha, the 54-year old professor of theology at the Pontifical Urban University of Rome, Italy, is the new Bishop of Mangalore.

Fr Peter Paul Saldanha born in Kirem parish, was ordained on May 6, 1991. He earned the first rank in the Bachelor of Theology degree and briefly served as an Assistant Parish Priest at Moodubelle parish (now Udupi diocese) and in Milagres Parish, Mangalore.

He takes over from Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza, who has resigned having reached the canonical retirement age of 75 two years ago. Bishop D’Souza stepped down after heading the Diocese of Mangalore for 22 years.

Fr Peter Paul Saldanha has authored a book titled ‘The Church: Mystery of Love and Communion’ which reveals his knowledge and commitment to the church. He is known to be very people-friendly.

Dr Peter Paul was born on April 27, 1964, in Kirem, Kinnigoli and was ordained on May 6, 1991, by the then Bishop Salvador D’Souza at the Bijai Church.

After the ordination, Dr Peter has served in various Parishes in Udupi, Moodbelle and Mangaluru. In 2005, he went to Rome to pursue his higher education in Bible studies. He secured the Doctorate from Pontifical Urban University and started to teach in the same University. Dr Peter has written a book, “The Church Mystery of Love and Communication”.