Bishop of first Syro-Malabar diocese in Latin territory dies

By Matters India Reporter

Kozhikode, Sept 6, 2020: Bishop Paul Chittilapilly, the first prelate of a Syro-Malabar diocese Pope Paul II created 33 years ago to resolve the rite rivalry in the Indian Church, died September 6. He was 86.

Bishop Chittilapilly, who had served as the bishop of Kalyan in Maharashtra and Thamarassery in Kerala, died at 6:45 pm in Nirmala Hospital, managed by the Ursulines of Mary Immaculate nuns, in Kozhikode.

A message from Father Benny Mundanatt, chancellor of the Thamarassery diocese, says Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, will lead the funeral services scheduled at 11 am on September 8 in Mary Matha Cathedral in Thamarassery, some 30 km northeast of Kozhikode.

The bishop’s mortal remains will be brought to Alphonsa Bhavan in Thamarassery around 9:30 pm on September 6. After prayers at 8:30 am on September 7, the body will be kept in the Bishop’s House for the public to pay their respects, Father Mundanatt’s not says.

Bishop Chittilapilly, who was a prelate for 32 years and a priest for 58 years, was born February 7, 1934, at Mattom in the Trichur district of Kerala. He did his priestly studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary in Kerala’s Aluva town and the Propaganda Fide College, Rome. He was ordained a priest on October 18, 1961, for Trichur diocese.

After his doctoral studies in Canon Law from Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, he returned to India in 1966 and appointed assistant vicar at Aloor, professor at St. Thomas’ Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Trichur and manager of St. Thomas College, Trichur.

In 1978, he was deputed to lead a team of priests who were sent to take care of the pastoral needs of the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Mumbai (then Bombay).

He was chosen to head the Kalyan diocese that resulted from Pope John Paul II´s intervention in the Indian Church´s centuries-long inter-rite rivalry.

In a historic letter to the Indian bishop May 28, 1987, Pope Paul II permitted formation of the Syro-Malabar diocese that shared territories of Bombay archdiocese and the dioceses of Pune and Nasik – all belonging to the Latin rite. Until then, India’s three rites – Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara – shared territories only in Kerala.

The Pope’s letter noted that he felt the situation in the Bombay-Pune-Nashik region was “mature enough for establishment now of an Epharchy of the Syro-Malabar Rite.”

The diocese’s creation came a year after Pope John Paul II’s February 1-10 visit to India.

The Pope also allowed formation of separate episcopal conferences for the three years. Until then, they functioned under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

The papal intervention was necessitated by the impasse among Indian bishops in resolving the rites issue themselves. While bishops and some priests of the Syro-Malabar rite said their Catholics living in Latin dioceses were neglected spiritually, Latin rite bishops claimed all Christians were given equal treatment.

Cardinal Antony Padiyara, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, on August 24, 1988, led the episcopal ordination at Mattunga in Mumbai.

After serving Kalyan for eight years, Bishop Chittilapilly was transferred to Thamarassery diocese in 1996 as its third prelate. In Thamarassery, he endeared to his people by visiting them in their houses during his pastoral visits to parishes. He retired in 2010. He had served as the chairman of the Family Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC).

In 2007, Bishop Chittilapilly was caught in a controversy. The Church in Kerala protested when he was called “a despicable” person by Pinarayi Vijayan, current chief minister of Kerala who was then secretary for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala.

The Marxist leader was upset over Bishop Chittilapilly’s claim that a party member, who was born Catholic, had received last Sacraments before his death. Vijayan accused the bishop of spreading lies and leading a “misinformation campaign” that disgraced Mathai Chacko, the deceased communist.

The KCBC then demanded Vijayan to apologize for hurling “condemnable” words at Bishop Chittilapilly.