Varghese Chakkalakal made archbishop of newly elevated Calicut archdiocese

Kozhikode: The Calicut diocese of Roman Catholic Church was officially elevated to the status of an archdiocese with bishop Varghese Chakkalakal being installed as the first Metropolitan Archbishop at a ceremony held at St Joseph's Church in Kozhikode on Sunday evening.The elevation, announced by the Vatican on April 12, was formally proclaimed at the ceremony led by Vatican representative Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. The event included a solemn mass and the reading of the official order in the presence of bishops, priests, and hundreds of faithful.Among the senior clergy in attendance were president of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, Archbishop Thomas J Netto, Mar Joseph Pamplany, and bishop Alex Vadakumthala.Political leaders including PWD minister PA Mohammed Riyas, KPCC president Sunny Joseph, former minister MK Muneer, and Kozhikode mayor Beena Philip also took part and conveyed their wishes.Archbishop Chakkalakal, ordained as a priest in 1981, was the first bishop of Kannur in 1998 and has served as bishop of Calicut since 2012. He has held leadership roles in both KCBC and Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. His pastoral work has included numerous charitable initiatives.The new archdiocese will cover the regions of Kozhikode, Kannur, and Sultanpet. A statement from the diocese noted that the elevation would strengthen the Church's ecclesiastical and social outreach in the Malabar region, marking a significant moment in its history.