KOCHI: The 30th synod of the Syro Malabar Church on Saturday elected Bishop Mar Joseph Pamplany as the new Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Tellicherry and Bishop Mar Peter Kochupurackal as the new Bishop of the Eparchy of Palghat.
The first session of the synod, which began on January 7 at Mount St Thomas, Kakkanad, was concluded on Saturday. Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry announced the appointment orders of the archbishop-elect and bishop-elect.
Mar Peter Kochupurackal
Mar Joseph Pamplany was born on December 3, 1969. He was ordained priest on December 30, 1997.He was the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Tellicherry since November 8, 2017. His appointment is following the retirement of present Archbishop Mar George Njaralakkatt.
Mar Peter Kochupurackal was born in 1964 at Marangoly, Pala. He did his priestly studies at St Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva. He has a doctoral degree in Canon law from the Oriental Institute in Rome. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Palghat on January 15, 2020, and was consecrated on June 18, 2020. His appointment is following the retirement of the present Bishop Mar Jacob Manathodath.
Black flags waved at bishops
Meanwhile, priests and laity of the Ernakulam Angamaly archdiocese continued their protest against the synod’s decision to unify the mode of conducting Holy Mass. Laity activists on Saturday evening waved black flags at the bishops when they left Mount St Thomas after the synod’s conclusion on Saturday evening.Seeking a permanent exemption from the new format of conducting Holy Mass prescribed by the synod, Fr Tom Mullanchira is continuing his hunger strike at the Ernakulam Bishop’s House. Earlier, Fr Babu Kalathil, who launched a hunger strike, was forcefully shifted to a hospital where he is continuing the strike. Two laity activists, Thomas Keecheri and Prakash P John, who were on hunger strike at the gates of Mount St Thomas, were shifted to the Bishop’s House on Saturday evening.
Priests alleged that the synod was pressuring the metropolitan vicar of the archdiocese Mar Antony Kariyil to retract the exemption that he granted to the archdiocese from conducting the new mode of Holy Mass.
