Most. Rev. Kurt Koch, the President of The Pontifical Council of Fostering the Christian Unity appointed Most

Dr. Selvester Ponnumuthen

Rev.Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan, the bishop of Punalur as a member of the Catholic delegation of the Joint Commission for Dialogue with both the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. This Commission meant to promote growing communion among the Disciples of Christ. Indeed, Christians must feel increasingly inspired to respond to the call to unity, so that together they can proclaim again the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one voice and give common witness to the world.

Bishop Selvister Ponnumuthan was born in Uchakkada, Neyyattinkara, India on August 10, 1956 and completed his philosophical and theological studies in St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Carmelgiri and Mangalappuzha respectively. He was ordained on December 19, 1981. After various pastoral and academic appointments in the Diocese of Trivandrum he was sent for higher studies in 1991. He got Doctorate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical Grgorian University, Rome. From 1996-2009 he served St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary handling different roles such as lecturer, librarian, director Missiology Forum, Dean of studies of Theology, Vice –Rector and Rector. Pope Benedict XIV appointed him Bishop of Puanlur on 28th June 2009. He is the Chairman of Commission for Evangelization, Ecuminism and Dialogue (CEED) of KRLCBC. He is also a member of Indian Theological Association, Fellowship of Indian Misssiologists and International Association of Catholic Missiologists.