Bangalore, December 12, 2023 (CCBI): The Synod of Bishops of the Syro Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church has elected as Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Ephrem of Khadki of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Rev. Fr. Mathai Kadavil (60), O.I.C., currently Superior General of the Institute of the Order of the Imitation of Christ, to which the Holy Father Pope Francis has given his assent. This was made public on December 12, 2023.
Fr Mathai Kadavil was born on 21 December 1963 in Kannathunadu, Kerala. Having entered the Order of the Imitation of Christ Institute of the Syro-Malankara Church, he took his first vows on 15 May 1981. He studied Philosophy and Theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth in Pune before receiving priestly ordination on 9 October 1989.
As a priest, he held the office of vice-rector of postulants for a year. From 1990 to 1995, he exercised the ministry in the Archeparchy of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara people as parish priest, as well as diocesan director of youth pastoral care Malankara Catholic Youth Ministry. At the same time, he was responsible for the Bethany publications publishing house of his Religious Institute and the management of the Bethany Book Centre. From 1993 to 1995 he coordinated the Malankara Catholic Youth Ministry.
He then continued his studies at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), where he obtained a Doctorate in Theology in 2002. Upon returning to his homeland, he worked again in the pre-novitiate for a year. From 2003 to 2006 he was Provincial Councillor with particular attention to the Bombay-Pune Missions. From 2006 to 2009 he was parish priest of two parishes, before becoming Provincial Superior from 2009 to 2015. From 2011 to 2017 he was Secretary of the Theological Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC). He has been Secretary of the Synodal Commission for Theology of Syro Malankara Catholic Church since 2018. From 2017 to 2020, he held the positions of Professor and resident formator at Malankara Major Seminary, Trivandrum. In 2021 he was elected Superior General of the Order of the Imitation of Christ. He is the author of four books and around 130 articles in English and Malayalam, he also knows Sanskrit, Syriac, German, and French.
Rev. Dr Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI