Mathew Arackal

Mar Mathew Arackal is a bishop of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church and an active champion in issues of the environment and society.

[1] Mathew Arackal completed philosophical and theological studies at the age of 25 and was ordained to the priesthood on 13 March 1971 by Archbishop Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara.

He was selected as the Resource Person of CAPART (Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology) of the Government of India, Kerala State Farming Corporation; The Task Force for Participatory Planning; State Council for Education, Research and Training; Watershed Development and Management Evaluation Team.

He piloted various development works at Marian College, Kuttikanam; MMT Hospital Mundakayam and various other schools, infirmaries and institutions.

In 2003 Arackal was appointed Advisor to the Planning Commission of India[5][6] and later in 2010, the Judging Committee Member of the Indira Gandhi Paryavan Puraskar (Environmental Award) constituted by the Government of India[6] He was the Chairman of Kerala Social Service Forum (KSSF), an umbrella organisation of the Catholic Social Service organisations in the State of Kerala, from 2001 to 2010; Chairman of KCBC Commission for Justice, Peace and Development; Member of the CBCI Commission for Scheduled Caste, Tribes and Backward Classes and the Bishop representative of Functional Vocational Training Forum (FVTF) of the CBCI.

In 2013, Bishop Arackal was in the news as a spokesman for the poor farmers in Idukki District who were protesting because their livelihood was being threatened by changes in Kerala environmental regulations.