The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CBCI) reelected Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath of Trichur as its President, Archbishop Geroge Antonysamy as its first Vice President, and Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas of Bathery as its second Vice President. Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi as its Secretary General.
The elections, held on February 6, 2024, marked a significant moment for the CBCI as it continues to address pertinent issues facing the church and society.
The theme of the 36th General Body meeting was "Church’s Response to the Current Socio-Political Situation in the Country and the Benefits and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence."
The meeting will conclude on February 7, 2024.
Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras-Mylapore is the Vice President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), and Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi is also the Secretary General of the CCBI. CCBI is the Episcopal Conference of the Latin Catholic Church in India.
CBCI serves as the assembly of the bishops of the Latin, Syro Malabar, and Syro Malankara sui iuris churches in India.
Archbishop Andrews Thazhath
Archbishop Andrews was born at Pudukkad, in Trichur district, on December 13, 1951. On March 14, 1977, the Archdiocese of Trichur ordained him as a priest.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in theology and a doctor's degree in Eastern Canon Law (DOCL) from the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome.
While serving as the president of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Ordinary Tribunal of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Syncellus of the Archeparchy, the Working Chairman and Managing Director of Jeevan Telecasting Corporation, and the President of the Oriental Canon Law Society of India, he was nominated as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Trichur on March 19, 2004.
On May 1, 2004, he became an ordained bishop. The Catholic Church appointed him as the Archbishop of Trichur on January 22, 2007. He was the Secretary-General and President of the Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council (KCBC) and the Chairman of the KCBC Education Commission.
He was the first vice president of the CBCI.
Pope Francis appointed him in 2021 as one of the members of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts is a dicastery of the Roman Curia that interprets the laws of the Church. Archbishop Andrews is a world-renowned expert in the Oriental Code of Canon Law.
Archbishop George Antonysamy
Archbishop George Antonysamy was born on February 15, 1952, in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. After completing his theology studies at Urban University in Rome, Archbishop George Antonysamy was ordained a priest on November 19, 1980, in Trichy. After serving as an assistant parish priest at the Holy Redeemer's Minor Basilica for one year, he was sent to Rome to pursue higher studies at the Pontifical Ecclesial Academy.
In 2002, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him as the charge d’affaires of the Vatican embassy in Jordan. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the titular Archbishop of Sulci in Sardinia, Italy on August 4, 2005. He then had his episcopal ordination on September 21, 2005, in Trichy.
He has held the office of apostolic nuncio to Gambia, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone until now. At the age of 60, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore on November 21, 2012.
From 2019 to 2023, he served as Vice President of the CCBI for three terms. He was the former Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Canon Law and Legislative Texts from 2015 to 2019.
He was the Chairman of the St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, from 2020 onwards. Pope Francis appointed him as one of the members of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on November 17, 2020.
Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas
Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas was born Joseph Konnath in the village of Vadaserikkara in the district of Pathanamthitta on May 13, 1952.
He joined St. Aloysius Seminary in June 1968. He entered Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye, to complete a bachelor’s degree in theology.
On December 23, 1978, Father Joseph Konnathu became a priest. After his ordination, Father Joseph Konnathu served in various parishes. In 1979, the church sent him to Kollam (Kadappakkada) to serve as the first resident vicar of the St. Thomas Malankara Catholic Church, Kadappakada.
From 1986 on, he served as a lecturer in the faculty of economics at Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. After completing six years of service in the Minor Seminary, the church appointed him as the ecclesiastical district vicar of Trivandrum and the vicar of St. Mary's Metropolitan Church, Pattom.
In 1998, he contested the Kerala University Senate election as an independent candidate and became a senate member. He received an appointment in 2000 to the Keralan government's School Curriculum Committee, which is under the direction of the education minister.
On January 5, 2005, Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Trivandrum and apostolic visitor to North America and Europe. He was ordained bishop on February 19, 2005, at St. Mary's Cathedral Church. The Eparchy of Bathery appointed Bishop Joseph Thomas as its third bishop. The Eparchy of Bathery installed Bishop Joseph Thomas as its third bishop on April 13, 2010.
Archbishop Anil Joseph Couto
Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto was born on September 22, 1954, in Porvorim Village, Bardez, in the Archdiocese of Goa.
In 1967, he joined the minor seminary in Goa. He completed philosophy in 1973 and did regency in 1976 at Boys Town, Prem Nagar, Quepem, Goa. In 1977, he joined the Archdiocese of Delhi and completed his theology studies in 1981 at Vidyajyoti College of Theological Studies.
On February 8, 1981, he became ordained as a priest. In 1981, he went on a mission experience at Varanasi. In 1982 (four months), he was sent as an assistant parish priest at St. Joseph’s Church, NIT-5, Faridabad. He was appointed Priest-in-Charge of ‘Prabhat’, Catholic Church, Rohtak (1982–1988).
In 1988, he was appointed Assistant Parish Priest at St. Michael’s Church, Prasad Nagar, and Principal of St. Michael’s Junior School.
In 1991, he became the Rector of ‘Pratiksha’, Major Seminary, Delhi. He completed his M.Th. in Ecumenism at Vidyajyoti (1991–1994). He holds a doctorate in ecumenical theology from St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University (Angelicum), Rome (1994–1998).
Upon his return in 1998, he assumed the position of Rector at 'Vinay Gurukul' Minor Seminary, Gurgaon. In 1999, he became the episcopal vicar. He was the Executive Secretary to the CCBI Commission for Ecumenism from 1999–2002.
On January 17, 2001, he became the Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi and Titular Bishop of Cenculiana, and on March 11, 2001, he was ordained as a Bishop. On February 24, 2007, he became the Bishop of Jalandhar and was installed on April 16, 2007. On November 30, 2012, he assumed the position of Archbishop of Delhi and was officially installed on January 20, 2013. In 2917, he was elected as the Secretary General of the CCBI at its 29th Plenary Assembly held at Bhopal.
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