MIAO, 8 Aug: Pope Leo has appointed the bishop of Miao, Rev George Pallipparambil, as a member of the International Council for Catechesis (Co.In.Cat), the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelisation announced this week.

The appointment, for a five-year term (ad quinquennium), was confirmed in a letter from the dicastery's pro-prefect, archbishop Rino Fisichella, dated 30 July, 2026, and addressed to bishop Pallipparambil at his residence in Miao.

The letter notes that the Vatican's secretariat of state formally advised the dicastery of the pope's approval on 5 July, 2026, following a request from the dicastery itself.

Co.In.Cat is a consultative body that supports the Dicastery for Evangelisation's Section for Fundamental Questions Regarding Evangelisation in the World, offering guidance and reflection on catechetical initiatives across the global Church.

In his letter, archbishop Fisichella expressed hope that bishop Pallipparambil's experience would allow him to "make a valuable contribution to the reflection and initiatives of this body in the important and sensitive field of catechesis."

The letter was countersigned by Mons Graham Bell, undersecretary in charge of the dicastery's secretariat.

Bishop Pallipparambil, a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, leads the diocese of Miao, which covers a largely tribal and mission territory in Northeastern India near the borders with Myanmar and China. The diocese is known for its missionary character and its work among indigenous communities in one of India's more remote regions.

The appointment adds an Indian voice with direct pastoral experience in a frontier missionary diocese to a Vatican council tasked with shaping catechetical policy for the universal Church. Bishop Pallipparambil's term on the council is set to run for five years from the date of the papal approval.

"The people of Miao have expressed joy over the appointment of their bishop by the Holy See and assured their prayerful support as he takes up his duty with an important International Council of the Holy See," according to a release.