Jacob Manathodath

Jacob Manathodath (; born 22 February 1947) is a former Bishop of Palghat. Briefly he also served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, India.

Biography Jacob Manathodath was born on 22 February 1947 in Kodamthuruthu, one of seven children born to Kurian and Kathreena. He attended the L.P. School, Kodamthuruthu, the E.C.E.K. Union High School, Kuthiathode. He entered the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Ernakulam, and then the Papal Seminary, Pune, where he earned his Licentiate in Philosophy and Master's in Theology. He was ordained priest on 4 November 1972.

His first assignments after ordination included Assistant Vicar of St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam, and then private secretary to Cardinal Joseph Parecattil. He earned his Doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome from 1979 to 1984.

Real Estate & Fake Document controversy On 22 June 2018, Pope Francis named Manathodath the Apostolic Administrator of the Archieparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. His appointment, according to Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, reflected Vatican concern about the real estate transactions as well as "ecclesiastical division" among the clergy and the archieparchy's bishops. An installation service was scheduled for 23 June with Giambattista Diquattro, Papal Nuncio to India, and several other prelates in attendance, including Cardinal George Alencherry, whose authority as Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly was suspended by Manathodath's appointment as administrator, completed his duty as apostolic administrator on 26/06/2019 . His ridiculous statement regarding "fake documents" was controversial as he said "fake document is not fake rather a genuine one" while police is conducting inquiry on the matter.

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