Syro-Malabar Church elects new Major Archbishop, Bishop Raphael Thattil of Shamshabad, Telangana

Kochi, India – The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome, has elected a new Major Archbishop to lead the Church and the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Bishop Raphael Thattil of Shamshabad, Telangana, was chosen by the Holy Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church on January 9, 2024, to succeed Cardinal George Alencherry, who resigned on December 7, 2023. The election was announced simultaneously at the Vatican and the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas in Kakkanad on January 10, 2024. The installation of the new Major Archbishop will be held at 2.30 pm on Thursday, 11 January 2024, at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syro-Malabar Church, Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad.

Bishop Thattil, 67, is the fourth Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, which traces its origins to the missions of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. The Church has more than 4.6 million members worldwide, mostly in Kerala, India, and uses the East Syriac Rite liturgy. The Major Archbishop is the head and father of the Church and the president of the Major Archiepiscopal Synod, which is the supreme authority of the Church. The Major Archbishop also has the title of Metropolitan of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the largest archdiocese of the Church.

Bishop Thattil was born on April 21, 1956, in Thrissur, Kerala, to Ouseph and Thresia. He completed his primary education at St. Thomas College High School, Thrissur, and joined St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thope, in 1971. He completed his ecclesiastical studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, and was ordained a priest by Bishop Joseph Kundukulam on December 21, 1980. He did his higher studies in Rome and Canada, and obtained a doctorate in Oriental Canon Law. He served as a parish priest, a seminary rector, a diocesan chancellor, and a synodal secretary. He was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Thrissur and a titular bishop of Buruni on January 15, 2010. He was consecrated as a bishop on April 10, 2010, by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath. In 2014, he was appointed as the apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing outside the proper territory of the Church. In 2017, he was named as the first bishop of the Eparchy of Shamshabad, which covers the Syro-Malabar Catholics in most parts of India outside Kerala. In 2020, he was given the title of Suffragan Metropolitan by Cardinal Alencherry.

Cardinal Alencherry, 76, was the third Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, and the first cardinal of the Church. He was elected by the Holy Synod on February 26, 2011, and was installed on March 19, 2011. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on February 18, 2012. He served the Church with dedication and zeal, and contributed to the growth and development of the Church in India and abroad. He was also a member of various Vatican dicasteries and a participant in the 2013 and 2018 papal conclaves. He resigned from his office on December 7, 2023, after reaching the age limit of 75. He will continue to serve as a cardinal and a member of the College of Cardinals.

The election of Bishop Thattil as the new Major Archbishop was welcomed by the clergy, religious, and laity of the Syro-Malabar Church, as well as by other Christian leaders.

His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Yoohanon Mar Theodosius, the Bishop of Muvattupuzha & Apostolic Visitator to Europe for the Syro Malankara Church, visited Bishop Thattil on January 10, 2024, and congratulated him on his appointment. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, like the Syro Malabar Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in India, which uses the West Syriac Rite liturgy and has about 458,000 members. The Church was formed in 1930 as a result of the reunion movement led by Archbishop Geevarghese Ivanios, who entered into communion with the Catholic Church.

The Syro-Malabar Church is a sign of the unity and diversity of the Catholic Church, which embraces the various liturgical, theological, and spiritual traditions of the East and the West. The Church is also a testimony to the faith and vitality of the Saint Thomas Christians, who have preserved and enriched their ancient heritage for more than 2,000 years. The Church invites everyone to join them in their prayers and celebrations for the new Major Archbishop, and to discover the beauty and richness of the Syro-Malabar Rite.