Curriculum Vitae

Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt was born on 27 January 1956 at Kayyoor. After his school studies, he joined the Good Shepherd Minor Seminary, Karoor for the ecclesiastical studies. He was ordained priest on 2 January 1982. After having served as the assistant parish priest at Aruvithura and Ramapuram, he was sent to Rome for higher studies in 1984. He secured his doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University, Rome. Then he started teaching at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor. Following the resignation of His Excellency Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil, he was appointed as the third Bishop of Palai on 18th March 2004, while serving as the president of the Paurastya Vidyapitam. He was ordained Bishop by His Grace Mar Joseph Powathil and was enthroned by His Beatitude Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil on 2 May 2004 at the St. Thomas College grounds, Palai.

Ecclesiastical and academic career

After a short period of fruitful apostolate at Aruvithura and Ramapuram, Fr. Kallarangatt was sent to Rome for higher studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1989, he secured a doctorate in systematic theology (The title of the thesis: The Holy Spirit, bond of communion of the churches: a comparative study of the ecclesiology of Yves Congar and Nikos Nissiotis). On his return to India, he was appointed professor of Dogmatic Theology at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary and at Paurastya Vidyapitham (Pontifical Oriental Institut of Religious Studies), Kottayam On 18 March 2004, while serving as the president of Paurastya Vidyapitham, Fr. Kallarangatt was named as the third Bishop of Palai. On 2 May 2004, he received his episcopal consecration from Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil and the same day he was enthroned as Bishop of Palai by the Syro-Malabar Major-Archbishop Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil.

Bishop Kallarangatt was a participant in the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, (Rome, 2012). In 2014, the Bishop lead his diocese to host the 31st plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India. He, as a delegate of Syro Malabar Synod, participated in the XIV General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops held in Rome from 4-25 October 2015.

A Theologian Bishop: Chairman of Doctrinal Commission

Bishop Kallarangatt is considered to be an authority in Ecclesiology and Oriental Theology; he has authored 30 books and a good number of articles related to Ecclesiology and Eastern theological studies. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Doctrinal Commission of The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and the Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Synodal Commission for Doctrine as well as member of the Syro-Malabar Synodal Commission for Liturgy. Bishop Kallarangatt serves also as a member of the Biblical Commission of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council.

Well known Scholar

Besides Malayalam and English, Bishop Kallarangatt speaks German and Italian languages. He is scholarly competent in ancient East Syriac language. He has in his credit more than 30 books on Theology and Oriental Liturgy and has written a large number of Systematic Theological articles. He has published extensively on secular topics as well.