New archbishop for Verapoly archdiocese appointed

Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil was today appointed as the new archbishop to the Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly in Kerala.

The appointment was made by Pope Francis. According to the Vatican Radio, Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil was currently serving as the Secretary of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. The 64-year old bishop replaces Archbishop Francis Kallarakal who has retired.

Born on Oct 6, 1952, in Vaduthala in Kochi, Bishop Kalathiparambil was ordained priest on March 13, 1978, and appointed Bishop of Calicut in April 2002 and consecrated the following month.

Pope Benedict XVI called him to the Vatican in February 2011, to be the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Vatican Radio said.
 

But with the reform of Pope Francis of the central administration of the Catholic Church in the Vatican, the four Pontifical Councils for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, and Healthcare Workers will cease to exist individually on January 1, 2017, and will be merged into a new single office for the promotion of integral human development, it said.