In a historic decision, Pope Francis elevated the Diocese of Calicut in the southern Indian state of Kerala to a Metropolitan Archdiocese on April 12, 2025.
The pope also named Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal (72) as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Calicut. The dioceses of Kannur and Sultanpet will serve as the suffragans.
The diocese of Calicut in the Malabar region has a deep-rooted legacy that dates back over 500 years. Evangelization began in 1498 with the arrival of Trinitarian missionary Pedro Covilham and others. The first church, dedicated to St. Andrew, was built on the Malabar coast in 1500.
In 1878, Pope Pius IX separated territories that now include Mangalore, Kannur, and Calicut from the Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar, handing it to the Jesuits of Venice in Italy. Calicut later emerged as a separate diocese in 1923 under Pope Pius XI, formed from parts of Mangalore, Mysore, and Coimbatore.
The diocese played a key role in the Church’s mission in Kerala. In 1954, the Oriental faithful were placed under the new diocese of Tellicherry. Later, in 1998, Pope John Paul II carved out the Diocese of Kannur from Calicut.
Initially under Jesuit leadership, Calicut saw bishops such as Paul Perini, Leo Proserpio, Pancratius Zanolin, and Aldo Maria Patroni. In 1980, diocesan clergy took over with Bishop Maxwell Noronha. Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil succeeded him in 2002, and Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal took over in 2012.
Chakkalakal brings decades of pastoral experience. He was born in Malapallipuram in the Diocese of Kottapuram, studied in Mala and Mangalore, and received his priestly ordination in 1981. He became the first bishop of Kannur in 1998 and served there until his transfer to Calicut in 2012.
Chakkalakal served as Secretary General of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI). Currently, he leads the Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRLCBC) and the CCBI Commission for Vocations, Seminaries, Clergy, and Religious. - Stephen Alathara
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