Kozhikode: Former Bishop of the Thamarassery Diocese, Mar Paul Chittilapilly, passed away here on Sunday. He was 86.

He died of cardiac arrest around 6:45pm at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

Mar Paul Chittilapilly was born at Mattom in Thrissur district in 1934. He did his priestly studies at St Joseph's Seminary, Aluva and the Propaganda Fide College, Rome. He was ordained priest at Rome by the late Archbishop of Changanassery Mar Mathew Kavukatt in 1961.

He took Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome. After his return to India in 1966, he was appointed assistant Vicar at Aloor. Later, he served as a professor at St Thomas' Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam and Chancellor of the Eparchy and Manager of St Thomas' College, Thrissur.

In 1978, he was appointed Vicar General of the Eparchy of Thrissur. He was in charge of the preparations to welcome Pope John Paul II when the latter visited Thrissur in 1986.

In 1987, he had been deputed to lead a team of priests who were sent to take up and organise the pastoral care of the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Mumbai.

He was nominated the first bishop of the newly erected Eparchy of Kalyan by Pope John Paul II in 1988. He was consecrated Bishop at Mattunga (Bombay) in 1988. He became the Bishop of of Thamarassery on 8 February 1997 and retired in April 2010.