Kerala Latin Catholic Bishops’ Council Announces New Leadership

On: January 10, 2026 4:02 PM

In a major development for the Latin Catholic Church in Kerala, the Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops Council (KRLCBC) announced its new office bearers after a key meeting at Kochi. the election at the Varapuzha Archdiocesan Curia took place on 09 January, 2026 for to carry forward a legacy of experienced management towards the socio political and pastoral issues Doeent with by our community.

Continuity in Leadership: Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal is Re-elected

The new leadership is headed by Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal who has been elected as President for another term. The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Calicut Archdiocese, and longhair in the power corridor as the CPBC Craig Tyssen (KCBC), Chakkalakal is a firm ecclesiastical headman with his strong tentacles of influence spread throughout Kerala.

Indian Church observers say the re-election of Mascarenhas is a vote of confidence in his ability to represent the Latin Catholic community, especially at a time when we are more keen on an active role both with state and central governments.

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The Executive Team

Accompanying the Archbishop are two other Kerala hierarchy:

Vice-President: Bishop Sebastian Thekkethcheril, Vijayapuram Diocese.
General Secretary : Rt. Rev. R.Christudas (Thiruvananthapuram) Assistant Bishop of Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese.
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Apart from the administrative reshuffle, the Council also utilized the opportunity to send out a strong warning to Kerala government with respect to Justice J.B. Koshy Commission report. This commission was mandated to grapple with the socio-economic deprivation of the Christian community and recommend corrective measures.

The Council was dismayed by the still ongoing delay in the publication of the report. They called on the government not just to release findings, but also implement recommendations according to clear priorities. For the Latin Catholic community which is mostly from coastal regions and dependent on fishing, these guidelines are perceived as crucial for ensuring educational and job security.

Navigating the Political Waters

The announcement of this leadership comes at very strategic point. With LA elections looming, the KRLCBC discussed at great lengths on the community political stand.

The Latin Catholic vote in Kerala has always been a major “swing factor” in most of the coastal constituencies. The Council assessed the recent local self-government elections and indicated that it’s support in future state elections would be based on the manner in which political parties address their age-old demands such as:

Coastal Erosion: Demands for permanent sea walls and re location agencies not taking action on the homes lost to the sea.
Teachers Appointments: Clearing the log jam in appointments within panchayat-run schools due to technicalities of disability reservations.
Community Certificates: Synergising the procedure for issue of community certificates to Latin Catholics without red-tape.

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The “Nectar” of Faith with Social Action

The new administration faces tremendous challenges as it navigates the spiritual with activism. The Latin Catholic Church in Kerala has been more than a religious body since its inception; it acts as the figurative social nucleus for more than 1.2 million devotees.

In having Archbishop Chakkalakal head both (KCBC)/ KRLCBC, they speak as one voice of the Church.Another bishops outfit called KCBC has also being giving out such statements Council. While the community is transitioning into a “Viksit Bharat’ (developed India), there is an essential need to make sure that marginalized sections, and in particular traditional fishing communities, will not be excluded from this fever of being modernized.

In re-electing a safe hand, and drawing on the implementation of the Koshy Commission, the Latin Catholic Bishops’ Council has sent a loud message: The Church is more than ready to fight its people’s rights as fiercely as it tends to their souls.