Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Antony Kattiparambil as the new bishop of Cochin in Kerala. The announcement was made on October 25. Fifty-five-year-old Father Kattiparambil is currently serving as the judicial vicar of the diocese of Cochin. The bishop-elect was born on October 14, 1970, in Mundamveli, as the youngest of seven children of the late Jacob and the late Treesa.
He completed his schooling at St. Louis School, Mundamveli, and his pre-degree course at Aquinas College, Edacochin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Kerala University and a Bachelor of Philosophy from St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye. The bishop-elect began his priestly formation in 1986 at Mount Carmel Petit Seminary, Fort Cochin, and completed his minor seminary studies in 1990. He pursued philosophical studies at St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye (1990–1993), and later moved to Rome for theological formation at the Collegio Urbano (1993–1998). He completed his theological studies at the Università Urbaniana, Rome (1993–1996), and was ordained a priest on August 15, 1998 by Bishop Joseph Kureethara. He also earned a Licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Università Urbaniana (1996–1998) and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the same university (2013–2016). The Diocese of Cochin has 182,324 Catholics, 134 diocesan priests, 116 religious priests, 545 religious sisters, and 78 parishes.
