Pope Francis announced the appointment of Father Linus Neli as the new Archbishop of Imphal, the capital city of strife-torn Manipur state in northeast India on October 7.
Father Neli currently serves as the judicial vicar of the Imphal Archdiocese and as the Director of the Retreat Centre in Imphal.
The appointment came at a critical juncture, with the state of Manipur experiencing ongoing sectarian conflicts that have tragically claimed 175 lives since the outbreak of violence in early May of this year.
He will replace Archbishop Dominic Lumon, who reached the age of 75, leading to his resignation, which was subsequently accepted by the Pope.
Born on April 26, 1957, in Imphal, Father Neli pursued his studies in philosophy at Christ the King College in Shillong, followed by theology at the Papal Seminary in Pune.
He furthered his education by earning a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
Father Neli’s educational journey also included obtaining a diploma in Jurisprudence from the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland in London, as well as a Master’s degree in Human Rights from the University of Pondicherry, now known as Puducherry, a union territory in southern India.
He was ordained as a priest on December 20, 1984, for the Archdiocese of Imphal. A year after his ordination, Father Neli was appointed Dean of Studies at the Minor Seminary of Imphal.
Over the years, he held various important positions, including serving as the Principal of the Sacred Heart Institute in Hundung, Associate Director at St. John’s Medical College Hospital in Bangalore, National Director of Caritas India (2013-2014), Rector of Oriens Theological College in Shillong, Principal of the San Pietro Institute in Monsang Pantha, and Director of the Archdiocesan Retreat Center, as well as the Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Court of Imphal.
