Head of a Catholic TV in India given Papal honour

(December 15, 2011) The Chairman of a Catholic Television and magazine Benny Punnathara has been bestowed chevaliorship by Pope Benedict XVI. The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council chairperson Archbishop Andrew Thazath of Trichur announced this on Wednesday in a meeting in Kochi, in South India’s Kerala State. The Church in Kerala honoured Punnathara for his remarkable contributions to the Catholic media world, the prelate said. Syro-Malabar Church head Major Archbishop George Alencherry gifted Punnathara a Bible. Punnathara runs a 24-hour Catholic television Shalom TV without any advertisement. He also publishes a spiritual magazine entitled, “Shalom.” Over 200 youth now work with him to spread the gospel across the globe. He is also planning an English channel in the United State by next year. Punnathara was born in 1960 and dedicated his life to this mission in 1995 when he was working as a bank employee.