The Syro Malabar Church, on Wednesday, announced that Mar Raphael Thattil has been elected as its new major archbishop.
The church elected the new archbishop through secret ballot voting on Tuesday, and the Vatican approved the result.
The election was conducted following the resignation of former archbishop Mar George Alencherry on December 7.
A total of 53 bishops of various dioceses under the Syro Malabar Church participated in the election held during the Synod meeting of the Church held at St. Thomas Mount, Kakkanad in Ernakulam.
The announcement of Thattil's election was simultaneously made in the Vatican and at St. Thomas Mount in Kakkanad.