Pope names India's Dias as head of Vatican's missionary arm

Vatican City - Pope Benedict named a new head to the Vatican's missionary arm on Saturday, in the latest appointment aimed at putting his own mark on the Roman Catholic Church's central administration.

Benedict said he had made Ivan Dias, the archbishop of Bombay, head of the Vatican's Evangelisation of the People.

Dias, 70, was a papal candidate in last year's elections that saw Benedict elected successor to Pope John Paul II. His appointment follows recent changes to some of the top positions in the Curia, the central administration of the church.

Dias will replace Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe who is to become archbishop of Naples.