Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop George Antonysamy,
apostolic nuncio to West African Countries, as the new archbishop of
Madras and Mylapore.He succeeds Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa, who has retired.
The announcement was made in the Vatican at noon today.
Archbishop Antonysamy, the Pope's Ambassador to Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, is the sixth archbishop of this ancient, historical and amalgamated archdiocese.
The archbishop-elect was born on Feb. 15, 1952 in Trichy, Tamilnadu. He did his early school education in Trichy and then joined St. Augustine's Minor Seminary.
He completed Bachelor of Philosophy and then Master of Theology in Urban University, Rome. He was ordained priest on Nov. 19, 1980 in Trichy.
After one year as assistant parish priest at the Holy Redeemer's Minor Basilica, Trichy, he was sent to Rome for higher studies.
In 2002, Blessed Pope John Paul II appointed him as the Charge d’Affaires of the Vatican Embassy in Jordan.
On August 4, 2005, Monsignor George Antonysamy was elected as Titular Archbishop of Sulci in Sardinia, Italy, by Pope Benedict XVI and had his Episcopal Ordination on September 21, 2005 in Trichy.
He was simultaneously appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Gambia, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, an office which he holds until now.