Rev. Dr. Abraham Kackanatt appointed as the Bishop of Moovattupuzha Diocese; Ramban Pattam conferred

Rev. Dr. Abraham Kakkanattu was appointed as the Bishop of Moovattupuzha Diocese.

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday acknowledged the election of Fr. Abraham Kackanatt as the new bishop of Muvattupuzha by the synod of the Syro-Malankara church. As a major archiepiscopal church, the Syro-Malankara Church is granted the highest level of self-government under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in the Catholic Church. One area of autonomy is the appointment of its own bishops by the synod, the apex body of the Eastern rite Catholic Church, to which the Pope gives his assent.

Rev. Dr. Abraham Kakkanattu, who is currently The Director of Pushpagiri Medical College was appointed as the new Bishop of Muvattupuzha Diocese by Major Arch Bishop Cleemis Catholica Bava at a special function at Pattom Cathedral, on Friday the 18th Jan 08. Consecration will be on Feb 9th at Vimalagiri Cathedral, Moovatupuzha. He hails from Kallooppara, Mallappally.

Fr. Kackanatt succeeds Archbishop Thomas Koorilos Chakkalapadickal who was transferred to Tiruvalla as archbishop last March. Born on June 10, 1944, at Kalloopara, Kerala, Fr. Abraham Kackanatt, was ordained priest in 1970. The 67-year old priest holds a Master’s degree in sociology from Mysore university, a Licentiate in Scriptures from Rome’s Pontifical Bible Institute, a Doctorate in Biblical Theology from Rome’s Pontifical Urban University and a diploma in Biblical and Oriental Studies from Jerusalem’s Bible Institute. Fr. Kackanatt has held several posts in Tiruvalla archdiocese, among them director of social works, corporate manager of schools, professor at the Cana Research Institute for Family and Marriage and administrator of the Pushpagiri Group of Institutions and Secretary of the Pushpagiri Medical Society. An accomplished linguist, Fr. Kackanatt speaks Hindi, Tamil, Sanskrit, English, Italian, German, French and Spanish besides his native Malayalam. He also knows Latin, Syrian, Hebrew and Greek.

Bishop Consecration on February 9, 2008

Fr. Abraham Kackanattu, Bishop-designate of the Muvattupuzha diocese of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, will be conferred the Ramban title during the holy Eucharist at St. John’s Metropolitan Cathedral at Thiruvalla on Wednesday. At a press conference at the Marygiri Archbishop’s House in Thiruvalla on Tuesday, Fr. Antony Kackanatt, Chancellor of the Archbishop’s House and Fr. Santhosh Azhakath, convenor, said Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Catholicos will be the chief celebrant at the service. The consecration of Fr. Kakkanattu as the new Metropolitan will be held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Vimalagiri), Vazhappilly, in Muvattupuzha on February 9th morning. Major Archbishop will be the chief celebrant of the consecration service and will be assisted by the Metropolitans of the Church. Apostolic Nuncio Pedro Lopez Quintana will preach the homily. A public meeting to felicitate the newly installed Bishop will also be held at 12 noon.

Ramban title conferred on bishop-designate

The pre-installation service at which the Ramban title was conferred on the bishop-designate of Muvattupuzha diocese of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church, Fr. Abraham Kackanatt, was held with religious fervour at St. John’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Thiruvalla on Wednesday.

Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, Thiruvalla Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos and Metropolitans were accorded a rousing reception.

The Catholicos was the chief celebrant at the ceremony. Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos and bishops Geevarghese Mar Themotheos, Joshua Mar Ignatheos, Geevarghese Mar Divannaseus, Youhanon Mar Chrysostum and Joseph Mar Thomas were the co-celebrants.

The holy Qurbono, led by the Catholicos, began at 8.50 a.m. The Catholicos washed the feet of the bishop-designate before conferring the Ramban title on him.

The Metropolitan of the Jacobite Syrian Church, Geevarghese Mar Koorilos, also was present on the occasion.

The installation of Fr. Kackanatt as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Catholic Church Eparchy of Muvattupuzha will take place at St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Vimalagiri) at Vazhappilly in Muvattupuzha on February 9.

The Catholicos will be the chief celebrant of the installation service and all the other bishops of the Church will be the co-celebrants. The Apostolic Nuncio, Pedro Lopez Quintana, will preach the homily.