Indian Church News

Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal on May 8, 2010. He succeeds Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana.

He was born in Marano (Naples) Italy on 7 September 1952. He was ordained a priest on 18 September 1976. He holds a Doctorate in Philosophy and entered into the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on 15 April, 1979. He served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Panama, Ethiopia, Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Yugoslavia and Ireland. On 28 November, 1998, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda and on 20 September 2003, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia, and Apostolic Delegate in Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and Brunei. He speaks English, French and Spanish.

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Cardinal Gracias is elected as the CBCI president on 1st March 2010. He is succeeding Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil after two years of his service as the president of CBCI. Major Archbishop Moran Mar Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, head of the syro-Malankara Church, was elected the first vice president and Mar George Punnakottil, the bishop of Kothamangalam is elected as the II Vice President.

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29th General Body Meeting of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

The 29th General Body Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) will be held at Don Bosco Institute, Guwahati, Assam from February 24 to March 3, 2010.

The General Body Meeting of the CBCI is a regular feature of the activities of the Catholic Bishops of India and is held once in two years in various dioceses of India. At every General Body Meeting, a particular theme of relevance to the Church and nation is discussed by the leaders of the Church.

The theme of the 29th General Body Meeting of CBCI is ‘Youth for Peace and Harmony’. The religious heads of the Catholic Church in India will deliberate and discuss in depth on the theme in order to formulate policies and strategies to motivate young people to serve the Church and the nation.

Over 160 Catholic Bishops of India are expected to attend the CBCI General Body Meeting in Guwahati. Others who will attend the meeting to discuss various issues of importance are the Executive Secretaries of the CBCI Commissions, Directors of National Centres, Representatives of the Catholic Council of India (CCI), Conference of Religious India (CRI) and Youth delegates of 13 Regions. The CBCI has 228 member Bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara ecclesial traditions. Among these are 158 heads of dioceses of whom 3 are Cardinals, 27 Archbishops and 51 Retired Bishops.

Presently Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the President of the CBCI, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, the Major Archbishop Catholicos of Malankara Catholic Church are Vice- Presidents and Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes, the Secretary General.

The venue of the meeting has been made ready by the host Archdiocese of Guwahati under the dynamic leadership of Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil. Various programmes including a public function have been planned during the meeting. The public function scheduled for February 28, 2010 for Bishops in Guwahati will be attended by Mr. Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister of Assam, along with the Church and civil authorities.
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20.02.2010: Most Rev. Francis Kallarakal, Bishop of Kottapuram, appointed as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly Archdiocese.
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It is with deep sorrow I report the death of Most Rev. Ignatius Lobo, Bishop Emeritus of Belgaum Diocese on 17th February 2010 at 6.45 a.m. at Lourdes Hospital, Dharwad. After his retirement as Bishop of Belgaum Diocese in 1994 he was in Goa in his ancestral house till 2007 when he came to the Diocese and lived till his death at the Clergy Home in Dharwad. The Bishop will be buried in the Fatima Cathedral after the Eucharist at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, 19th February 2010 with Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore as the main celebrant.
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25.01.2010: Rev. Fr. Anthony Valiyavilayil, OIC, Clergy of the Order of the Imitation of Christ has been appointed Curia Bishop of the Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, assigning him the Titular See of IGILGILLI.

25.01.2010: Rev. Fr. Stephen Thottathil, Clergy of the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla, assigning him the Titular See of SOZOPOLI di EMIMONTO.

25.01.2010: Rev. Fr. Samuel Kattukallil, Clergy of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum, assigning him the Titular See of TAMALLUMA.

25.01.2010: Rev. Fr. K. M. Vincent Kulapuravilai, Clergy of the Eparchy of Marthandom has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of Marthandom.

25.01.2010: Right Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas, Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and Apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of Bathery.

25.01.2010: Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, Bishop of Bathery has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of the new Eparchy of Puthur.

25.01.2010: Right Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, Bishop of Marthandom has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of the new Eparchy of Pathanamthitta.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor George Njaralakatt, Proto-Syncellus of the Eparchy of Bhadravathi has been appointed Bishop of the new Eparchy of Mandya.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor Paul Alappatt, Rector of St. Mary's Minor Seminary and Judicial Vicar of the Archeparchy of Trichur has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of the new Eparchy of Ramanathapuram.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor Bosco Putur, Rector of Mangalapuzha Seminary, has been appointed Curia Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor Raphael Tbattil, Proto-Syncellus of the Archreparchy of Trichur has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the same Archeparchy.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor Remigiose Inchananiyil, Secretary , Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of the Eparchy of Thamarassery has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of the Eparchy of Thamarassery.

18.01.2010: Rev. Monsignor Pauly Kannookadan, Secretary of the Archepiscopal Commission for Liturgy , Clergy , Institutes for Consecrated Life and Executive Director of L.R.C, has been appointed Eparchial Bishop of the Eparchy of lrinjalakuda.

10.12.2009: Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado, Bishop of Nashik, has been appointed Bishop of Vasai.

10.12.2009: Bishop Lourdnada Daniel, Bishop of Amravati, appointed Apostolic Administrator of Nashik.

06.11.2009: Archbishop Dominic Lumon, Archbishop of Imphal, has been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kohima.

25.08.2009: Bishop Prakash Mallavarapu, Bishop of Vijayawada, has been appointed Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Diocese of Eluru.

14.08.2009: Rev. Fr. John Vadakel, CMI, appointed Eparchial Bishop of Bijnor

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