His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil was born in Thrissur on 21^st April 1956 as the youngest son of Ouseph and Thressia in the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours Thrissur. In 1971 He began his priestly formation at the St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in Thope, Thrissur and completed his studies at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, Kottayam for Philosophy and Theology. On 21st December 1980, Mar Joseph Kundukulam ordained him as a priest for the Archdiocese of Thrissur at his home parish, the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours.

He began his Priestly Ministry as the Assistant Vicar in Aranattukara and as the Assistant Procurator at St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thrissur. Then he was sent for higher studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and took doctorate in Oriental Canon Law. In 1988 he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of theArchdiocese, Vice Rec- tor of St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, and Diocesan Biblican Catechetical Liturgical Center Director. In 1998, when Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy was appointed Archbishop of Thrissur. He served as the Chancellor and Eparchial Judge of the Archdiocese until 2000. In 1998 he was also appointed as the First Rector of the Mary Matha Major Seminary, Thrissur. When Mar Andrews Thazhath became Archbishop in 2007, Thattil served as the Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese until his appointment as bishop.

On 18th January 2010 Mar Raphael Thattil was elected by the Synod of Bishops as the Auxiliary Bishop of Thrissur and as the Titular Bishop of Buruni. He was ordained a bishop on 10th April 2010 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours by Mar Andrews Thazhath. On 23^rd December 2013 Pope Francis appointed Mar Thattil as a Apostolic Visitator for outside the territory in India. On 10th October 2017, Pope Francis announced the erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad in Thelungana which included 23 states, two union territories and two islands with All India Jurisdiction of the Syro-Malabar Church.

On 9th January 2024, the Synod of Bishops elected Mar Raphael Thattil as the fourth Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. With the consent letter of Pope Francis on 10th January 2024 it was announced simultaneously at the Vatican and Mount St. Thomas. On 11th January 2024, Mar Raphael Thattil was installed as fourth Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad. On 13^th May 2024, along with Permanent Synod Members his Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil visited Pope Francis in Vatican.