Bangalore 4 May 2020 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of His Excellency Most Rev. Cyprian Monis (75) from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Asansol, West Bengal, and has appointed His Excellency Most Rev. Bishop Salvadore Lobo (75) Bishop Emeritus of Baruipur, India as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Diocese of Asansol. This provision was made public on Monday 4 May 2020.
Bishop Cyprian Monis was born on 11 April 1945, at Dorna Halli in Mysore diocese, Karnataka. He was ordained a priest on 21 December, 1975. He served as Episcopal Vicar for the Santal tribal community. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Calcutta Archdiocese on 26 March, 1994 and ordained Bishop 4 August 1994. When the Asansol diocese was erected on 24 October 1997, with territory taken from the Archdiocese of Calcutta, he was appointed its first Bishop. He was the Chairman of the Office for the Youth of the CBCI. He is a priest for 44 years and a Bishop for 25 years.