By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, March 19, 2022: In a rare move after 87 years, Pope Francis on March 19 transferred a bishop from northern India to a south Indian archdiocese.
A press release from Father Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary general of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI – Latin Rite), says the Pope has transferred Bishop Francis Kalist of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to Pondicherry-Cuddalore archdiocese in Tamil Nadu as its new archbishop.
This was announced at 12 noon Rome time (4:30 pm in India).
The Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore was without a prelate since January 27, 2021, with the resignation of Archbishop Antony Anandarayar, who later died of Covid related illness on May 4 the same year.
Bishop Peter Abir Antonysamy of Sultanpet, Kerala, was on January 27, 2021, appointed the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese.
The last time a bishop from the north was transferred to the south was in 1935 when Salesian Bishop Louis Mathias of Shillong (now Meghalaya) was sent to Madras in the then Madras Presidency.
The Vatican has apparently ignored the demands of Catholic Dalit groups for the appointment of a person from their community as the archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore.
Such a move would “restore confidence in Dalit Catholics” and “prevent their imminent uprising in Tamil Nadu – Pondicherry as well as in other states of India,” said a June 11, 2021, letter to the nuncio from the Dalit Christian Liberation Movement.
Bishop Francis Kalist was born on November 23, 1957, in Ritapuram in the Kanniyakumari civil district and Kottar diocese. He attended elementary school in Ritapuram and entered St. John’s Minor Seminary at Sardhana near Meerut.
He did his philosophy and theology studies at St. Albert’s major seminary in Ranchi, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. He was ordained a priest on December 30, 1982, in Meerut.
After ordination, he served as the vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Roorkee for two years from 1982, then vicar of St. Pius Church for another two years. He was the priest of St James’ Church Sirsanal during 1985-1989., pastor of Christnagar’s St. Paul’s Church for six years until 1995. He returned to Sirsanal and served the parish for four years. He also served as pastor of St. Francis Church in Swar during 1999-2002.
He was then appointed rector of St. John’s Minor Seminary and administrator of the Basilica Shrine of ” Our Lady of Graces,” a popular Marian shrine in Sardhana; After six years, he was made the rector of St. Francis Xavier Regional Philosophate, Etmadpur, Archdiocese of Agra, a post he held until 2002.
On December 3, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him the third bishop of Meerut and his episcopal ordination was on February 8, 2009. He was just 51 then. He is currently the chairman of the CCBI Commission for Women and the episcopal advisor of National Charismatic Service Team.
The archdiocese of Pondicherry is more than 400 years old. The “Sui Iuris” of Karnatic Mission (Pondicherry) was established in 1776 and in 1836 it became Vicariate Apostolic of Pondicherry. It was elevated to Archdiocese of Pondicherry in 1886 and the name was changed into Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore in 1953.
The archdiocese has 399,461 Catholics spread over 105 parishes and served by 187 diocesan and 84 religious priests. As many as 1,035 religious sisters too work in the archdiocese that has 311 educational institutions. Dharmapuri, Kumbakonam, Salem and Tanjore are the archdiocese’s suffragan dioceses.
All the bishops in the north are from the south, mostly Kerala or Mangalore. Miles to go for a truly Local Church as envisaged by Vatican II
I too was surprised that one of the best bishops of U.P. has been sent to the deep south in a case of reverse migration! However, since he is of Tamil origin, it would be incorrect to call him an “outsider”. Perhaps this move was to pre-empt the highly polarized caste ridden Tamil church. I always believe in “outsiders” being appointed as bishops so that they may start with a clean slate without preferences, prejudice or nepotism.
I may also add that Abp Kallist is a gem of a person, simple, humble and honest. When I first met him about 20 years ago he told me that the suffix DD that bishops use does not stand for Doctor of Divinity but for Doulous Douli that is Greek for “Servant of the Servants”. That in itself speaks volumes for the man.
Because of internet problems I could not post this comment earlier.
Will Vatican appoint a Bishop from south India to North India?
Is it Damage control? Or damaging further
All the Best to the new Archbishop
Continued refusal to listen to and make the right decision to meet their demand will cause definite trouble for the Church in the long run. I cannot name the troubles now. Putting it in words is difficult now. Why precipitate such a move from the sons of the soil? The Church and Pope Francis must listen to their voice.
I wonder what will be the reaction of those who demand “son of the soil” to be their bishop.
Vatican has done the right thing by not acceding to the demand for installation of a “Dalit Archbishop” for the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore. For in Christianity no one is high, no one is low and untouchable (Dalit). All Christians have equal share to partake in the Body and Blood of Christ. Also an Archbishop or Bishop is for the whole local community and not for select sections of the faithful.
Could they not get any one working in Tamil Nadu?