Kakkanad - His Eminence Mar Raphael Thattil, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and Metropolitan of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, appointed Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany as his Vicar for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly on 11 January 2025.

The first session of the Thirty-third Synod, held from 6 to 11 January 2025, elected Mar Pamplany as the Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

Francis approved this election of the Synod through the Apostolic Nuncio. Mar Pamplany, who is currently the Metropolitan of the Archeparchy of Thalassery, will carry out his new mission in addition to his existing responsibilities.

The Holy Father also accepted the resignation of Mar Bosco Puthur from the post of Apostolic Administrator of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Appointed on 7 December 2023, Mar Bosco Puthur submitted his resignation in September 2024 due to health reasons. Mar Bosco Puthur was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly following his resignation from the presidency of the Diocese of Melbourne.

With the acceptance of the resignation of the Apostolic Administrator, the Holy See has entrusted the administrative responsibility of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly to the Major Archbishop, who is also the President of the Archeparchy. It is in this context that the Major Archbishop has appointed Father Mar Joseph Pamplany as his Vicar in the Archeparchy, entrusting him with the responsibility of carrying out the ordinary administration of the Archeparchy. Meanwhile, Archbishop Cyril Vasil will continue as the Pontifical Delegate of the Archeparchy. The Vicar of the Major Archbishop will administer the Archeparchy in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Synod.

Major Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal Mar George Alencherry appointed the first Vicar of the Major Archbishop in the Archeparchy in 2019. Archbishop Antony Kariyil was appointed at that time. Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany, born on December 3, 1969, was ordained a priest on December 30, 1997. He obtained a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the University of Louvain, Belgium. He was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Thalassery on September 1, 2017 and was consecrated as a bishop on November 8, 2017.

Mar Joseph Pamplany became the Metropolitan of the Archeparchy on 22 April 2022. Mar Pamplany is the Secretary of the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops and a member of the Permanent Synod. Mar Joseph Pamplany also serves as the Chairman of the Theological Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, a member of the Public Affairs Commission, the Chairman of the Media Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Conference, a member of the Theological Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, and a member of the Theological Commission of the Asian Catholic Bishops' Conference.