Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has a new President, who succeeds Cardinal Telesphore Toppo. His name is Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, and he was elected in the Assembly of Bishops in Jamshedpur, Jharkand (India).
The CBCI is the inter-ritual Episcopal Conference that encompasses three existing Indian rites: Latin, Siro-malabar, and Siro-malankar. The Bishops from each one of the three rites also belong to their own conferences.
Among the other elected members of the CBCI are: Vice-Presidents, Cardinal Oswald Gracias (Archbishop of Bombay) and Cardinal Mora Mar Baselios (Archbishop of Trivandrum), and confirmed Secretary General, Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes.
Cardinal Vithayathil, who is 80 years old and who currently serves as leader of the Siro-malabar Catholics, with a total of 3.5 million faithful, has asked that the Indian Church to turn its gaze towards the poor, the masses of needy people, those who are shut off from the grand progress of the Indian nation. He also reiterated that one of the Church’s tasks is to contribute to building a just, fraternal, and harmonious society. In the homily during the Mass in Siro-malabar Rite, presided by the Cardinal, he said that, “The communication of faith is the principal duty of every Bishop. To proclaim Jesus as Saviour and to guide the work of the proclamation from the frontline is our most important task.” He also added: “Like the apostles who assumed the task of proclaiming the Good News, and even gave their lives for this cause, the Bishops, as their successors, should also be prepared to give their lives if necessary.”
The lay associations of the Indian Church congratulated the new President and said that, “the new leader will be able to offer Indian Catholics his testimony and vast experience, his great courage and profound faith, in this critical political phase.”
Cardinal Vithayathil was born May 29, 1927 in North Parur. He entered the Redemptorist Order, making his profession August 2, 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1954. He was also Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Order from 1978 to 1984 and President of the Conference of Religious in India (CRI) from 1984 to 1985. He was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Siro-malabar Church and of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly and consecrated Bishop in Rome by Pope John Paul II in 1997. In 1999, he was named Major Archbishop of the Siro-malabar Church and Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly. In 2001, the Pope appointed him member of the College of Cardinals. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2008 righe 33, parole 416)
