Jesus Youth India Ecclesiastical Adviser Bishop George Pallipparambil and Bishop Jose Pulickal Appointed to Vatican Catechetical Council

Miao/Kochi, August 8, 2026: Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao and Bishop Jose Pulickal of Kanjirapally have been appointed members of the International Council for Catechesis (Co.In.Cat.), an advisory body of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization. Their five-year appointments bring Indian pastoral and missionary experience to the Church’s international reflection on catechesis and evangelisation.

Bishop George Pallipparambil, a Salesian of Don Bosco, is also the Ecclesiastical Adviser to Jesus Youth India, appointed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). He has served the Diocese of Miao in Arunachal Pradesh, one of India’s most remote and culturally diverse mission territories. His pastoral ministry has included evangelisation, education, healthcare and social development among indigenous communities.

His appointment was communicated by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in a letter dated July 30. The letter noted that Pope Leo XIV had approved the appointment following a request from the Dicastery.

Bishop Jose Pulickal is the Bishop of Kanjirapally and Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Church’s Catechetical Commission, a position he has held since 2024. He became Auxiliary Bishop in 2016 and Bishop in 2020. Earlier this year, he presented the catechetical activities, achievements and challenges of the Syro-Malabar Church at a conference in Manila organised for catechetical leaders of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

The International Council for Catechesis assists the Vatican in reflecting on catechetical priorities and initiatives and brings together pastoral, theological and missionary perspectives from different parts of the world.

The appointments are a recognition of the bishops’ contributions to catechesis and faith formation and provide the universal Church with valuable perspectives from the diverse pastoral contexts of India.