A 60-year-old Catholic priest from Kerala, India, has been arrested and charged in Canada with sexual offences involving children under the age of 16, prompting his immediate removal from pastoral duties.
Father James Cherickal, a priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church hailing from Kozhikode, Kerala, was arrested by the Peel Regional Police on 18 December 2025. He faces one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference, which in Canadian law, refers to sexual crimes committed against children under 16 years of age.
According to a statement issued by the Archdiocese of Toronto on 20 December 2025, the arrest followed an allegation of misconduct against Cherickal, who was serving as the pastor of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton at the time. The Archdiocese stated it learned of the allegation and subsequently cooperated with the police investigation.
“Following our protocols and procedures relating to allegations of misconduct, Fr Cherickal has been removed from pastoral ministry,” the Archdiocese’s statement read. It further emphasized the legal principle of presumed innocence, noting, “As with any accused in our Canadian legal system, he is considered innocent until proven guilty and entitled to due process.” The statement also affirmed that the Archdiocese views any such accusation “as an urgent matter that requires serious attention.”
In the wake of the arrest, St. Jerome’s Church announced the cancellation of Holy Mass services from 25 December 2025, through 3 January 2026.
Father Cherickal’s ecclesiastical background ties him to the Syro-Malabar diocese of Thamarassery in Kerala. The Syro-Malabar Church, headquartered in Kochi, is the largest Eastern Catholic church in India and is in full communion with Rome. He was deputed to Canada approximately three decades ago.
Records from the Archdiocese of Toronto indicate that Cherickal had been ministering in various parishes within the archdiocese since 1997. He had taken up his post at St. Jerome’s Church in Brampton just last year. During his time in Canada, he also served the Syro-Malabar mission established for the significant community of Catholic migrants from Kerala residing in the country.
Cherickal is part of a substantial cohort of priests from Kerala who have been sent abroad to address clerical shortages, particularly in nations with large Keralite diaspora communities such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Prior to his assignment in Canada, he served in various roles within the Diocese of Thamarassery in Kerala.
The Peel Regional Police investigation is ongoing. The Archdiocese of Toronto has not released further details on the specific nature or timeline of the alleged crimes, citing the active legal proceedings.
The above incident is not uncommon especially among churches across the world.
Source: OpIndia
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