Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Catholics in Barisal, 123 kilometers from the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, "waited for a long time to have their own diocese. Now the pope has fulfilled their wish, and I shall do everything to take care of them,” said Mgr Lawrence Subrato Howlader, the first bishop of the new diocese.
The Diocese of Barisal was created out of the Diocese of Chittagong, and will be a suffragan see to the metropolitan see of Dhaka.
"The distance between Barisal and Chittagong was a huge barrier to our pastoral work,” the prelate said. “Now this barrier has been removed, and I give thanks to Almighty God for it."
With Francis’ decision, the country now has seven dioceses and one archdiocese. Barisal will border to the east with the mother Diocese of Chittagong and to west with the Diocese of Khulna.
Barisal’s St Peter’s Church will be the cathedral of the new diocese and St Peter the Apostle will be the patron saint of the new episcopal see.
"Separating two dioceses is always painful,” said Mukul Anthony Mondol, a local Catholic. “Still, some joy and pride came from this painful break. We are grateful to Church authorities who did the hard work. We had waited for so many years for this decision."