Pope Francis on May 1 transferred Bishop Derek Fernandes of Karwar to Belgaum as its new prelate, according to a press note from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India headquarters in New Delhi.

The diocese was without a head after Bishop Peter Machado was transferred to Bangalore as its arch-bishop in May 2018. He was chancellor and procurator of Belgaum diocese during 1991-2002 and the diocesan administrator for two years from 2004. He was appointed Karwar bishop on February 24, 2007.