A 60-year-old Catholic priest from Kerala, Father James Cherickal, has been arrested in Canada on serious criminal charges involving minors. The arrest was carried out by Peel Regional Police on December 18, following allegations of sexual assault and sexual interference involving children under the age of 16. Father James Cherickal is originally from Kozhikode district in Kerala and is a member of the Kochi-based Syro-Malabar Church, which is the largest Catholic community in Kerala and one of the 23 Oriental Churches that are in communion with Rome.

After the arrest became known, the Archdiocese of Toronto took immediate action and removed Father Cherickal from pastoral ministry. This step was taken as part of standard church procedures when allegations of this nature arise, and it marked a significant development in the case.

According to available reports, Father Cherickal belonged to the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Thamarassery in Kerala before being sent abroad. Over a period of nearly three decades, he served in multiple parishes under the Archdiocese of Toronto. Following his arrest, the Archdiocese issued an official statement explaining the situation and the steps taken. “The Archdiocese of Toronto learned of an allegation of misconduct against Fr James Cherickal, a priest in ministry in the archdiocese currently serving as pastor of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton. On December 18, 2025, Peel Regional Police charged Fr Cherickal with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference,” the statement said on December 20.

The Archdiocese further clarified its position in the same statement, stressing both its internal protocols and the legal rights of the accused. “Following our protocols and procedures relating to allegations of misconduct, Fr Cherickal has been removed from pastoral ministry. As with any accused in our Canadian legal system, he is considered innocent until proven guilty and entitled to due process. The Archdiocese of Toronto looks upon any accusation of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention,” the statement added.

In the days following the arrest, St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, where Father Cherickal had been serving as pastor, cancelled Holy Mass services from December 25 to January 3. The Archdiocese confirmed that he had been working in different parishes since 1997 and had moved to St. Jerome’s Church only last year. In addition to parish duties, he had also served the Syro-Malabar mission in Canada, which was created to support Catholic migrants from Kerala who settled there.

Reports also note that Father Cherickal is among hundreds of priests from Kerala who have gone abroad to serve churches facing a shortage of clergy. Many such priests work with Syro-Malabar Church communities in countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, where large numbers of Kerala-origin Catholic families live. Before relocating to Canada, Cherickal worked in various roles under the Diocese of Thamarassery, gaining experience that later led to his long-term deputation overseas.