His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, issued decrees erecting four new ecclesiastical provinces in the Syro-Malabar Church—Faridabad, Ujjain, Kalyan, and Shamshabad—and appointing Mar Kuriakose

Bharanikulangara, Mar Sebastian Vadakel MST, Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, and Mar Prince Antony Panengadan respectively as the Metropolitan Archbishops. These decisions were announced on 28 August at a public meeting held at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, in the presence of the Synod Fathers, and were also made public at 12 noon (Italian time) in the Vatican.

The Eparchies of Bijnor and Gorakhpur will be suffragan eparchies of Faridabad Province. The Eparchies of Sagar, Satna, and Jagdalpur will be suffragan eparchies of Ujjain Province. The Eparchies of Chanda and Rajkot are included in Kalyan Province.The Eparchy of Adilabad will be suffragan eparchy of Shamshabad Province. Additionally, the Eparchy of Hosur in Tamil Nadu will now be the suffragan eparchy of the Archeparchy of Trichur.

His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, announced the appointments of new bishops for the Eparchies of Adilabad and Belthangady on 28 August, during a public meeting held at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, in the presence of the Synod Fathers.

Rev. Fr. James Patteril CMF, presently serving as the Provincial Procurator of the Würzburg Province of the Claretian Congregation in Germany, has been appointed Bishop of Belthangady. He succeeds Bishop Mar Lawrence Mukkuzhy, who resigned due to health reasons.

Rev. Fr. Joseph Thachaparambath CMI, serving as the Provincial Superior of the CMI Chanda St. Thomas Province, has been appointed Bishop of Adilabad. He succeeds Mar Prince Antony Panengadan, who has been transferred from the Eparchy of Adilabad to the then Eparchy of Shamshabad.

The Diocese of Chik-magalur organised a one-day seminar on “Artificial Intelligence and its Rele-vance for Pastoral Mini-stry” for the clergy on 27th August at St. Joseph’s School, Cathedral Cam-pus, Chikmagalur. The seminar aimed to help the clergy understand the growing significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in today’s world and to explore how it can be effectively integrated into the Church’s mission, particularly in the areas of pastoral care, evangelisation, and administration. The sessions were led by two distinguished experts from St. Aloysius Deemed-to-be University, Manga-lore. Mr. Royal Praveen D’Souza, an Assistant Professor with 12 years of experience, specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Management Systems and Dr. Reji P. John, Assistant Professor of Economics. The seminar proved to be an enriching and thought-provoking experience. It enabled the clergy to recognise the potential of Artificial Intelligence as a valuable tool to support and strengthen pastoral ministry, while reaffirming that the essence of the Church’s mission continues to rest on human touch, compassion, and spiritual discernment.

At least 32 people, mostly Hindu pilgrims on their way to a famed mountainous temple, were killed and 20 sustained injuries following a massive landslide triggered by four days of torrential rain in India’s northern Jammu-Kashmir region. Government officials warned the death toll may rise as many, mostly Hindu pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu, are feared to be trapped under the debris. The disaster site was located near Ardhkunwari, a midway cave temple situated on the steep climb to the Vaishno Devi shrine, one of the holiest destinations for Hindus in India. The landslide struck near a restaurant, along the mountain path carved into the Trikuta Hills in Jammu. Authorities immediately suspended the pilgrimage and rushed army units, disaster response teams and local officials to the site. Continuous rainfall and the unstable slopes of the mountains, however, have slowed the rescue effort. Millions of pilgrims trek to the Vaishno Devi shrine annually, walking 12 kilometers uphill, and the route is usually thronged with devotees chanting hymns and carrying offerings. The pilgrimage route is now full of heavy machinery and soldiers frantically searching for survivors.

His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, announced the reorganisation of the territories of twelve eparchies outside Kerala on 28 August, during a public meeting at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, in the presence of the Synod Fathers.

The Syro-Malabar Church obtained all-India jurisdiction with the erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad on 9 October 2017. At that time, all territories in India not yet assigned to any Syro-Malabar eparchy were made part of the newly erected Eparchy by Pope Francis. Spread across twenty-three states, four union territories, and two islands, this vast jurisdiction required further administrative decisions in subsequent Synodal sessions to ensure effective pastoral care. As a result, the Synod decided to reorganize the territories of eleven eparchies by redistributing certain areas of the Shamshabad Eparchy. With the approval of the Apostolic See, the Major Archbishop has issued decrees redefining the territories of the following eparchies: Adilabad, Bijnor, Chanda, Gorakhpur, Kalyan, Jagdalpur, Rajkot, Sagar, Satna, Shamshabad, and Ujjain.

The Chhattisgarh government’s recent announcement to bar tribals who convert to another religion from accessing Scheduled Tribe (ST) welfare schemes has stirred intense debate across political, legal, and faith-based communities. The proposed legislation, expected to be introduced in the winter session, seeks to replace the existing Chhattisgarh Dharma Swatantrata Adhiniyam, 1968, with a more stringent framework. It mandates a 60-day advance notice to district authorities before any religious conversion and imposes prison terms of up to 10 years for violations. The bill also broadens the definition of inducement, including promises of education, healthcare, or employment.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has voiced support for “delisting” converted tribals from the ST category, citing concerns over cultural erosion and dual entitlements. “India is secular, but tribal identity must be preserved,” he said, echoing calls from tribal groups in Bastar and Surguja. Faith leaders and civil society activists have expressed alarm over the implications for religious freedom and minority rights. “This move risks criminalizing personal faith journeys and deepening social divides,” said a spokesperson from the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel criticized the proposal as politically motivated. “Existing laws are sufficient. What we need is enforcement, not exclusion,” he said. However, tribal organizations like the Sarva Adivasi Samaj have welcomed the initiative, arguing that conversion often leads to cultural alienation and loss of traditional practices. “This is about safeguarding our heritage,” said Arvind Netam, a senior tribal leader. Legal experts caution that any attempt to redefine ST eligibility based on religion must align with constitutional protections and national jurisprudence. The state government has indicated plans to consult the Centre to ensure broader applicability.

His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, announced the reorganisation of the territories of twelve eparchies outside Kerala on 28 August, during a public meeting at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, in the presence of the Synod Fathers.

The Syro-Malabar Church obtained all-India jurisdiction with the erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad on 9 October 2017. At that time, all territories in India not yet assigned to any Syro-Malabar eparchy were made part of the newly erected Eparchy by Pope Francis. Spread across twenty-three states, four union territories, and two islands, this vast jurisdiction required further administrative decisions in subsequent Synodal sessions to ensure effective pastoral care. As a result, the Synod decided to reorganize the territories of eleven eparchies by redistributing certain areas of the Shamshabad Eparchy. With the approval of the Apostolic See, the Major Archbishop has issued decrees redefining the territories of the following eparchies: Adilabad, Bijnor, Chanda, Gorakhpur, Kalyan, Jagdalpur, Rajkot, Sagar, Satna, Shamshabad, and Ujjain.

A high-level independent tribunal has concluded that the ethnic violence that engulfed Manipur from May 3, 2023, was a planned attack rather than spontaneous unrest, indicting both state and central governments for enabling the crisis through institutional breakdown. The 694-page report, released by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) at the Press Club of India, represents the most comprehensive independent investigation into the conflict that has displaced over 60,000 people and left them languishing in relief camps for 27 months.

“The violence which erupted on May 3, 2023, was not spontaneous but planned, ethnically targeted, and facilitated by state failures,” concluded the Independent People’s Tribunal chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph. The tribunal, comprising 14 jury members and three experts deliberately chosen from outside Manipur, recorded testimonies from more than 150 survivors who painted what the report called “a picture of systemic impunity and targeted brutality.”

The report has drawn fierce criticism from Manipur’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanajaoba Leishemba, who dismissed it as “biased, one-sided and unprofound” during a public event Sunday. Leishemba, who founded the Arambai Tenggol group mentioned in the report, demanded “a strong probe against this PUCL” and warned the findings could mislead the Meitei community. The tribunal has recommended establishing a permanent High Court bench in hill districts, creating independent Special Investigation Teams monitored by the Supreme Court, and prosecuting those responsible for hate speech and propaganda.