Diocese of Calicut elevated to archdiocese; Mar Varghese Chakkalakal ordained first archbishop
KOZHIKODE: In a momentous ceremony, the Diocese of Calicut, a key spiritual hub of the Catholic Church in Malabar, was officially elevated to the status of an archdiocese, with Rev Dr Varghese Chakkalakal ordained as its first archbishop. The ceremony on Sunday, held in the courtyard of St Joseph's Church, Kozhikode, was attended by thousands of faithful and dignitaries.
The proclamation and ordination ceremony was led by Dr Leo Pauldo Girelli, the apostolic nuncio to India. The decree, announcing the elevation and appointment of the archbishop, was solemnly read in Latin, English, and Malayalam during the initial phase of the Mass, marking the historic transformation of the diocese.
Mar Chakkalakal publicly pledged his allegiance to the Church before the apostolic nuncio, who represented the Vatican, and the gathered congregation, officially assuming his responsibilities as metropolitan archbishop.
Among those gathered to witness the ecclesiastical landmark were bishops from across the state, besides priests and nuns of various orders. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC), offered the homily and conveyed his blessings to the new archbishop and the archdiocese.
Archbishop Dr Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur extended warm congratulations, highlighting Mar Chakkalakal's prior service as bishop of both Kannur and Kozhikode. Archbishop Dr Thomas J Netto of Thiruvananthapuram voiced hope for a church that serves as a 'shepherd of hope' amid global crises.
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