The Syro-Malabar Church got three more bishops on Friday. Fr. Tony Neelamkavil was elected as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Thrissur, Fr. Joseph Pamplany as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Thalassery, and Fr. Sebastian Vaniyapurackal as the Archepiscopal Curia Bishop.
Appointment orders
The three were elected by the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church which assembled at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad. The appointment orders of the bishops-elect were given by Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal George Alencherry.
Mar Andrews Thazhath, Archbishop of Thrissur; Mar George Njharalakatt, Archbishop of Thalassery; and Mar Mathew Arackal, Bishop of Kanjirappally, presented the bishops-elect with the insignia of Episcopacy.
Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt felicitated the bishops-elect. All the bishops attending the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church were present on the occasion, according to a communication.
Fr. Vaniyapurackal is the second curia bishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. The dates of the Episcopal ordinations of the bishops-elect will be decided later.
With the appointment of the bishops-elect, the number of the bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church rose to 61, the communication said.