Pope Francis has named Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur to serve as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in India, after Archbishop Antony Kariyil resigned at the Vatican’s request.

Archbishop Thazhath, a leading authority on the Code of Canon Law for the Eastern Catholic churches, will be asked to resolve the heated liturgical dispute that led to the resignation of Archbishop Kariyil, and pits the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Vatican against most of the clergy of the Indian archdiocese.