Elevation of Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calicut on May 25
The formal elevation of the Diocese of Calicut to the status of Metropolitan Archdiocese and the installation of Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal as the first Metropolitan Archbishop will be held at St. Joseph's Church here at 3 p.m. on May 25.
Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Leopoldo Girelli will officiate the Eucharistic celebration.
Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council president Baselios Cardinal Cleemis will deliver the homily on the occasion, a press release said.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Conference of Catholic Bishops of India president Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church Mar Raphael Thattil, Archbishop of Hyderabad Anthony Cardinal Poola, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Major Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal George Alencherry, Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly Joseph Kalathiparambil, Metropolitan Archbishop of Trichur and Catholic Bishops' Conference of India president Mar Andrews Thazhath, and Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Thomas J. Netto will offer felicitations.
The Calicut Diocese was elevated to Archdiocese, and Bishop Chakkalakal was named Archbishop following the papal decree announced on April 12.
Kozhikode will become the third Latin Catholic archdiocese in Kerala, joining Varapuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. The Archdiocese of Calicut will have Kannur and Sultanpet as its suffragan dioceses.
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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.
The Hindu
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Varghese Chakkalakal installed as Kozhikode Archbishop
The Calicut Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, and Bishop Varghese Chakkalakkal was installed as its first Metropolitan Archbishop at a solemn religious congregation witnessed by hundreds of faithful on Sunday (May 25). The official order installing him as archbishop was read out at a formal event hosted on the compound of St. Joseph's Church in Kozhikode in the evening. Apostolic Nuncio and Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli led the ritualistic archdiocesan proclamation ceremony and solemn Mass which began at 3 p.m. Bishops from various dioceses, priests, and laymen were present to witness the major ecclesiastical event. The dignitaries from various dioceses invited to be part of the ceremonies included president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, Archbishop Thomas J. Netto from Thiruvananthapuram, Mar Joseph Pamplany from Thalassery, Bishop Alex Vadakumthala from Kannur. Public Works Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas, M.K. Raghavan, MP, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph, former Minister M.K. Muneer and Mayor Beena Philip were also among those who extended their greetings on the occasion. It was on April 12, 2025, that the official order on the elevation of the Calicut diocese to archdiocese came from Rome. Expressing delight over the elevation, Archbishop Chakkalakkal had described it as an Easter gift from Pope Francis. The installation ceremony was postponed for over a month following the departure of the Pope on April 21. Archbishop Chakkalakal was elevated to the post considering his decades of pastoral experience. He was ordained a priest in 1981 and became the first Bishop of Kannur diocese in 1998. He took charge as the Bishop of Calicut diocese in 2012. He served as secretary general of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Chakkalakkal was also instrumental in the planning and implementation of several charitable activities for the poor. A diocesan communication said the ecclesiastical and social outreach efforts in the Malabar region would gain greater strength and wider reach with the formation of the new archdiocese encompassing Kozhikode, Kannur and Sultanpet.
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Elevation of Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calicut on May 25
The formal elevation of the Diocese of Calicut to the status of Metropolitan Archdiocese and the installation of Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal as the first Metropolitan Archbishop will be held at St. Joseph's Church here at 3 p.m. on May 25. Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Leopoldo Girelli will officiate the Eucharistic celebration. Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council president Baselios Cardinal Cleemis will deliver the homily on the occasion, a press release said. Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Conference of Catholic Bishops of India president Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church Mar Raphael Thattil, Archbishop of Hyderabad Anthony Cardinal Poola, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Major Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal George Alencherry, Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly Joseph Kalathiparambil, Metropolitan Archbishop of Trichur and Catholic Bishops' Conference of India president Mar Andrews Thazhath, and Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Thomas J. Netto will offer felicitations. The Calicut Diocese was elevated to Archdiocese, and Bishop Chakkalakal was named Archbishop following the papal decree announced on April 12. Kozhikode will become the third Latin Catholic archdiocese in Kerala, joining Varapuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. The Archdiocese of Calicut will have Kannur and Sultanpet as its suffragan dioceses.
