Archdiocese of Verapoly
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Archdiocese of Verapoly Archidioecesis Verapolitana Varapuzha |
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| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Ecclesiastical province | Verapoly |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 3,193,096 315,767 (9.9%) |
| Information | |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | St Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Ernakulam |
| Patron saint | Saint Joseph |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Joseph Kalathiparambil |
| Vicar General | Joseph Padiyaramparambil |
| Website | |
| Website of the Archdiocese | |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly (Verapolitana) is a Roman Catholic archdiocese belonging to the Latin rite, headquartred at Ernakulam district of the south Indian state of Kerala. The archdiocese has administrative control over the suffragan dioceses viz. Calicut, Cochin, Kannur, Kottapuram and Vijayapuram. The headquarters is located in Kochi along the Malabar Coast in India. It was originally formed as the Vicariate of Malabar in 1657 and became a metropolitan see in 1886. Verapoly is now officially named Varapuzha.
The Archdiocese of Verapoly was originally known as the Vicariate of Malabar. It has its origin in 1657, with the arrival of Carmelite Missionaries, most prominent among whom was Father Joseph of St. Mary, better known as Joseph Sebastiani. They had been deputed under Father Hyacinth as Apostolic Commissar, by Pope Alexander VII to effect a reconciliation of St. Thomas Christians of the Syro-Chaldaic Rite, who had seceded from their Archbishop Francis Garcia S.J. The majority of them had in 1653 revolted against the Archbishop and forsaking his authority by taking an oath for the purpose at the foot of a cross-thereafter called the "Coonen Cross" situated in Mattancherry, had made their own Archdeacon the Archbishop. By the efforts of Sebastiani a large number of seceders were brought back to the true fold. Nevertheless, they refused to be under the authority of their lawful Archbishop or under any prelate of the Jesuit Order known as the "Paulists".
Rome, being informed of the situation by Sebastiani in person, decided to entrust the Carmelites with the spiritual care of the Syro-Chaldaic Rite. For this purpose the Vicariate of Malabar was erected by Pope Alexander VII on 3 December 1659. Sebastiani was consecrated Titular Bishop of Hierapolis on 15 December 1659 and sent back to Malabar, with the title of Vicar Apostolic and Administrator of the Archbishopric of Cranganore. The new Vicariate eventually established its headquarters in the island of Verapoly.
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Wikipedia