INDIA Archbishop Andrews Thazhath is the new president of the Indian bishops

He was elected by the Assembly of the Episcopal Conference (CBCI) that is taking place in Bangalore. The Syro-Malabar Archbishop of Thrissur takes the place of Card. Thank you in the alternation between the different rites. Cardinal Alencherry had made it clear that he was not available for the position for reasons of age.

Bangalore () – The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the ecclesial body that brings together the dioceses of the three rites present in India, today elected its new president in Bangalore. This is Syro-Malabar Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, who has led the local Church of Thrissur since 2007 and has also recently been appointed by Pope Francis as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, where the confrontation around the “unified” liturgy.

Monsignor Thazhath, 71, is an expert in the law of the Eastern Churches. He was vice president of the CBCI and now succeeds Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, who was elected for the second time in 2018 after a first term between 2010 and 2014. The custom is that in the task of heading the Episcopal Conference there is an alternation between the different rites that coexist in Indian Catholicism. Before proceeding to the election, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabars, Card. George Alencherry had specified that for reasons of age he was not available for election.

The Assembly taking place in Bangalore has also appointed the other members of the presidency: Archbishop George Antonysamy, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore, was appointed as first vice-president. The second vice president for the next four years will be Mar Joseph Thomas, Bishop of the Eparchy of Batheri. Lastly, Mons. Félix Machado, bishop of Vasai, was confirmed as secretary.