Parishes 41 Pope Francis Area 12,505 km² Patron saint Francis Xavier | Rite Latin Rite Vicar General Thomas Panackal Country India Metropolitan archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil | |
Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2006)
10,061,127
38,092 (0.4%) Cathedral Mother of God Cathedral in Kozhikode Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calicut (Latin: Calicuten(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Kozhikode in the Ecclesiastical province of Verapoly in India.
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On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed as the sixth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calicut, India (area 12,505; population: 10,453,000; Catholics: 50,201; priests: 125; religious: 833), Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal, who until then had been the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kannur (based in Kannur, India), and simultaneously appointed him as the Apostolic Administrator of the vacant see (sede vacante) of his previous Diocese, Kannur. Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal was born in Malapallipuram, India, located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottapuram (based in Kottapuram, India), on February 7, 1953. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at St. Joseph's Seminary in Mangalore, India. Bishop Chakkalakal was ordained to the presbyterate for the Diocese of Calicut on April 2, 1981. After Ordination, he was: Assistant Pastor in the Parish of Lourdu Matha, Pallikunnu, India (1981-1982); Assistant Pastor in the Parish of San Antonio, in Pakkom, India (1982-1984); a student at St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute, in Alwaye, India (1984-1986); Assistant Pastor of three parishes: Chalil, West Hill, Ezhimala (1986-1987); a student at the Pontifical Urbaniana University at the Vatican in Rome, Italy, where he earned a degree in Canon Law (1987-1991); and as a Pastor in Perinthalmanna, India and Chali, India (1991-1992). Since 1992, he was a Professor of Canon Law and Moral Theology at St. Joseph's Seminary, Mangalore. On November 5, 1998, he was appointed the first Bishop of Kannur, India by Pope John Paul II, and received his episcopal consecration on February 7, 1999.