Bangalore 30 August, 2019 (CCBI): The Synod of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, gathered at Mount St. Thomas, Kerala, made the following canonical provisions on 30 August, 2019, which have been approved by the Holy See:
(1) Most Rev. Mar Antony Kariyil (69), C.M.I., till now Bishop of Mandya, Karnataka, has been elected Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly of Syro Malabar Church. He will assume full powers in the fields of administration, finances and pastoral ministry in the said ecclesiastical circumscription. The Holy Father Pope Francis granted him the personal title of Archbishop. He has been assigned the Titular See of Macriana Maggiore, elevated pro hac vice to the degree of titular archdiocese;
Archbishop Antony Kariyil was born on 26th March, 1950 in Chalil, Cherthala, Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. He made his first profession in the CMI Congregation on 16th May 1967 and was ordained a Priest on 27thDecember 1977. Mar Antony Kariyil was professor and later Principal of Christ College (now Christ University), Bengaluru from 1978 to 1997. He was Principal of Rajgiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery from 1997 to 2002 and from 2011 to 2015 Director of Rajgiri College of Social Sciences, Rajagiri Business School and Rajgiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kochi. He was the Prior General of the CMI Congregation from 2002 to 2008 after which he served as the Provincial Superior of Sacred Heart Province, Kochi till 2011. He was ordained bishop on 18th October 2015.
2. Most Rev. Mar Sebastian Adayanthrath (62), previously Auxiliary Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, has been elected Bishop of Mandya, Karnataka. He was born on 5 April 1957 at Vaikom and was ordained priest on 18th December 1983. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly 20 April 2002.
3. Most Rev. Jose Puthenveettil (58), previously Auxiliary Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Faridabad, Delhi. He was born on 4 April 1961, Edappally, Ernakulam district and ordained priest on 26 December 1987. He was ordained bishop on 21 September 2013.
4. Fr. Vincent Nellaiparambil (48), of the Clergy of Bijnor, has been elected Bishop of Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. He was born on 30 May 1971 at Arippalam, Irinjalakuda. He joined the Eparchy of Bijnor as a minor seminarian on 16 June1987, and did his studies at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary at Kotdwar, in the diocese of Bijnor. He did his philosophy course at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad (1990-1993); his Bachelor of Arts from Allahabad University (1994); his theology course at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad (1994-1998). He was ordained priest on 8 April, 1999. After ordination and some pastoral ministry in the missions, he obtained Master of Arts from H.N. Bahuguna University, Uttarakhand in 2005 and Licentiate in Systematic Theology from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore in 2008. He was priest in charge at two Mission Stations for six years. He served also as Rector of the Diocesan Minor Seminary (2008-2012), Formation Coordinator of the Diocese of Bijnor (2008-2012) and Staff at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad (2008-2017). Presently he was the Priest-in- Charge of Mary Matha mission station at Chiniyalisaur, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.