Archbishop of Calicut
Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal, Archbishop of Calicut, was born on February 7, 1953, in Malapallipuram, in the Diocese of Kottapuram, and his parish of origin is St. Antony's Church there. He was educated at St. Antony's schools in Malapallipuram and Mala and at St. Aloysius College in Mangalore, and he studied philosophy and theology at St. Joseph's Interdiocesan Seminary in Mangalore. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Calicut on April 2, 1981, by Maxwell Valentine Noronha. He then served as parochial vicar of Lourdu Matha Parish in Pallikunnu from 1981 to 1982 and of St. Antony's Parish in Pakkom from 1982 to 1984; as a student at St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute in Alwaye from 1984 to 1986, where he took a master's degree in theology; as parochial vicar in the parishes of Chalil, West Hill and Ezhimala from 1986 to 1987; and as a student at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome from 1987 to 1991, where he obtained a doctorate in canon law. He also holds a master's degree in history from the University of Mysore. He was parish priest at Perinthalmanna and Chali from 1991 to 1992, and from 1992 he was professor of canon law and moral theology, and later dean of studies, at St. Joseph's Seminary in Mangalore. On November 5, 1998, he was appointed the first Bishop of Kannur. He received episcopal ordination on February 7, 1999, at Kannur, with Daniel Acharuparambil as principal consecrator and Francis Kallarakal and Maxwell Valentine Noronha as co-consecrators. On May 15, 2012, he was appointed Bishop of Calicut and Apostolic Administrator of Kannur, an office he held until March 23, 2014. On April 12, 2025, he was appointed Archbishop of Calicut, and he was installed on May 25, 2025. He has served as president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, president of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Bishops' Council and president of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council, and as chairman of the commission for vocations, seminaries, clergy and religious of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, of the commission for the laity of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Bishops' Council and of its theology commission.