Kochi: Mar Raphael Thattil, bishop of the diocese of Shamshabad (Telangana) has been elected as the new Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church. The synod of bishops which met at St Thomas Mount, Kakkanad, Kochi took the decision unanimously, church authorities said.
The election was necessitated by the resignation of Cardinal George Alencherry as Major Archbishop of the church following two major controversies related to the land deal of the church and the implementation of the uniform mode of mass across all dioceses. His resignation was accepted by the Vatican in December 2023 paving the way for a new Major Archbishop. The synod of bishops which began on Monday took the decision in favour of Mar Thattil by a secret vote on the second day itself, and the decision was sent to the Vatican for approval, it is said. This is only a formality because decisions of the synod of bishops of oriental churches are normally final, and will not be reversed by the Vatican. The declaration was done simultaneously in the Vatican and Kochi on Wednesday afternoon.
He has been a bishop since 2010 and the first bishop of the Diocese of Shamshabad since 2018. The Diocese of Shamshabad is headquartered in Telangana.
Mar Thattil,68, was born to Ouseph and Thresia and was baptized on 30 April 1956 in Thrissur. Lazar (late), Thomas, Baby (late) Francis, Sosannam, Joy, and John, are his siblings. After his primary education at St. Thomas College HS, Thrissur, he joined St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thope. He completed his study of Philosophy and Theology at St. Thomas Ap. Seminary Kottayam in 1980. He was ordained by Mar Joseph Kundukulam in Thrissur on 21 December 1980.
After his ordination, he served as Asst. Vicar, Aranattukara (1981-82), Fr. Prefect & Asst. Procurator, St Mary’s Minor Seminary (1982-83), Acting Vicar, Koonammoochy (1983), Acting Vicar, Cherumkuzhy (1983). On returning back from Rome, he served in the Archbishop’s house as Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Adj. Judicial Vicar, Judge, and later as Syncellus and Proto-Syncellus. He was the director of DBCLC & Catechism (1992-1995).
He was ordained as Bishop on 10 April 2010 and appointed as Auxiliary bishop of Trichur and Titular Bishop of Brunei. In 2014, he was appointed as Apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing outside the territorium proprium. Pope Francis named him the first Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Shamshabad on 10 October 2017.
