Pope reshuffles Curia, gives senior post to India's Cardinal Dias

May 20, 2006, 14:52 GMT

Rome - Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday appointed the archbishop of Mumbai, Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, according to the Vatican.

Dias, 70, replaces Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, who was named archbishop of Naples.

Observers in Rome said the appointment of the Indian archbishop, who insiders had tipped as the possible successor to John Paul II last year, was an important sign for Catholics in the Third World, and especially in Asia.

The congregation is a central authority within the church and can be traced back to the 'Congregatio de Proganda Fide (Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith)' founded by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 to combat the church's loss of influence due to the spread of Protestantism and to promote missions worldwide.

The congregation is also responsible for the running and coordination of the four pontifical mission societies: the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Pontifical Society of St Peter the Apostle, the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood and the Pontifical Missionary Union.

The Curia reshuffle is expected to continue for some time. It is still unclear who will replace Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, who turns 80 this year.

'Foreign Minister' Giovanni Lajolo is expected to take on other duties in the future, but it was also unclear who would replace him.