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Joseph Kallarangatt

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His Excellency
Mar Joseph Kallarangatt
Bishop of Palai
ProvinceSyro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery
DioceseSyro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai
SeePalai
PredecessorJoseph Pallikaparampil
SuccessorIncumbent
Other post(s)Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Synodal Commission for Laity
Orders
Ordination2 January 1982
Consecration2 May 2004
Personal details
Born (1956-01-27) 27 January 1956 (age 68)
Kayyoor, Kottayam District, Kerala, India
NationalityIndia
DenominationSyro-Malabar Catholic Church
ResidenceBishop's House, Palai
Alma materSt. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavatoor, Gregorian University Rome

Joseph Kallarangatt (born 27 January 1956) is an Indian Catholic prelate, who is the third bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai.

Early life and career

Joseph Kallarangatt was born on 27 January 1956, in Kayyoor located in the Kottayam district of Kerala. He received his education at a Catholic seminary in Palai and became an ordained priest on 2 January 1982. Kallarangatt was an assistant parish priest at the Aruvithura and Ramapuram parishes until he was sent to the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy in 1984, from where he attained a doctorate in theology (ThD). Following his ThD, he became a teacher at a seminary in Vadavathoor and later the president of the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Religious Studies (Paurastya Vidyapitam), a theology institution of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

On 18 March 2004, Kallarangatt was appointed as the 3rd Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai, after the resignation of Bishop Joseph Pallikaparambil. His episcopal consecration occurred on 2 May 2004 conducted by Archbishop of Changanacherry Joseph Powathil and his enthronement was conducted by Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil. Later he also received an appointed to the chairmanship of the Synodal Commission for Family, Laity and Life. The diocese (eparchy) of Palai has the largest concentration of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Kerala, from where Kallarangatt's clout in the Church grew considerably and he became known as an authority on theology, eventually authoring 30 books on the subject.

Pastoral ministry

On July 27, 2021 a circular issued by the bishop announced an increase in financial support for Christian families in the Diocese of Pala with five or more children, giving monetary aid to such married couples. The Church-run welfare program also would provide employment opportunities in local Catholic hospital to children raised in these larger families, women who were to give birth to their fourth child would be provided with free delivery and neonatal care until discharge from a diocesan hospital, and tuition-free nursing and engineering diocesan college education would be provided to children who were born as the fourth child or later in a family.

Love jihad controversy

A remark from the bishop made on September 9, 2021, that Christian girls are falling prey to love jihad and narcotic jihad triggered a controversy in the state of Kerala.

The remarks made by Bishop Joseph received mixed response from different corners of the society.

The remark by Bishop received support from the Syro-Malabar Church and organisations including Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) and from some political parties. In a open statement, the Syro-Malabar Church's head urged the public to end all controversies related to the bishop's remarks and discuss the issues that lead to the remark. In a statement, the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) on Saturday said the bishop’s words were not aimed at any community and he was sharing the community’s concerns. It should not be made controversial and should instead be debated with seriousness, it said. Deepika wrote an editorial on the same matter clarifying the Church's stand and supporting the bishop.

Muslim extreme organisations protested against the remark of the bishop by staging a march in-front of Bishop's house. Bishop also received criticism from some other christian churches; bishop Coorilose Geevarghese, a head of no more than eleven parishes of Jacobite Diocese of Niranam, stated that Kerala Christians face no threat and those in power should not give statements which can be used by communal forces. Some Catholic nuns also openly criticised the remark by the Bishop.

Bharatiya Janata Party state unit has written to home minister to provide security to the Bishop. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said "The narcotic mafia should be seen as mafia, which is against the social fabric of the state, and religious tone should not be attributed to the mafia". Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party is communally exploiting the issue.

Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s ally Kerala Congress (M) extended support to bishop.

A mass rally was conducted by various Christian organizations and BJP activists in Pala on 11 September 2021, to declare solidarity with the Pala bishop in narcotic jihad issue, where Kerala Congress (M) leader Nirmala Jimmy, BJP former district president Noble Mathew, N Hari, and various others participated in the meeting.

G.Sukumaran Nair, general secretary of Nair Service Society (NSS) came up with a statement expressing concern over the forced conversion of girls. “That the terrorist activity of forced religious conversion of girls using the weapon of love or other means is indeed a matter of concern. The State and Union governments have the responsibility to find out and quell such elements,” read the statement.

The Bishop's remarks were condemned by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan who said that it is the Central Government which had admitted in the Parliament that love jihad doesn't exist in Kerala.

References

  1. "Bishop of Palai Diocese, Joseph Kallarangatt". Union of Catholic Asian News. Retrieved 20 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Bishop of Palai Diocese, Joseph Kallarangatt". Union of Catholic Asian News. Retrieved 20 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Reporter, Staff (27 July 2021). "Pala diocese plans more sops for large families". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Kerala Bishop offers sops for families having 5 or more children". OnManorama. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  5. "Love and narcotic jihad exists in Kerala, claims Catholic Bishop". Deccan Chronicle. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  6. "Pala Diocese comes out with explanation over 'narcotic jihad' remark". OnManorama. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  7. "War of words over 'narcotics jihad' rages on in Kerala". Hindustan Times. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  8. "'Narcotic jihad' row: Kerala's Syro-Malabar Church stands by Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt [Full statement]".
  9. "Church, BJP back Kerala bishop's 'narcotics jihad' remarks, say he is speaking community's concern". The Indian Express. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  10. "End all controversies, says Syro-Malabar Church head on 'narcotic jihad' row".
  11. "Church, BJP back Kerala bishop's 'narcotics jihad' remarks, say he is speaking community's concern". The Indian Express. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  12. "Apriyasathyangal arum parayaruthenno". deepika.com (in Malayalam). 13 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  13. "Narcotic Jihad; Deepika editorial in support of Bishop Kallarangad". asianetnews.com (in Malayalam). 11 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  14. Reporter, Staff (11 September 2021). "'Narcotic jihad' row: Pala witnesses wave of protests". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  15. Henry, Nikhila (16 September 2021). "'Kerala Christians Face No Threat': First Bishop To Deny 'Narcotics Jihad' Claim". TheQuint. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  16. https://www.thequint.com/news/india/nuns-in-kerala-stage-walkout-protesting-priests-speech-against-muslims#read-more
  17. Henry, Nikhila (14 September 2021). "'Narcotics Jihad': Why is a Catholic Nun Asking a Kerala Bishop to Apologise?". TheQuint. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  18. "No case against Pala bishop over 'narcotic jihad' remarks: Pinarayi". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  19. "BJP trying to communally exploit issue: CPI(M) on 'narcotic jihad' row in Kerala". The News Minute. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  20. "CPM ally Kerala Congress (M) extends support to bishop". The Indian Express. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  21. "Narcotic jihad row: Thousands rally behind Bishop Kallarangatt in Pala". The Indian Express. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  22. "ബിഷപ്പ് മാർ കല്ലറങ്ങാട്ടിന് ഐക്യദാർഢ്യവുമായി കാസ റാലി". deepika.com. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  23. "More come in support for Pala Bishop". The Hindu. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  24. "Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemns narcotic jihad remark". Deccan Herald.
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