By Matters India Reporter
Bengaluru, July 29, 2022: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), the national association of the Latin rite bishops, has felicitated the country’s new cardinals.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and a member of the Pope’s advisory group, honored Cardinal-designate Filipe Neri Ferrão, the archbishop of Goa and Daman, with an Indian shawl and a copy of the Bible at a function held July 26 at Paalanaa Bhavan, the pastoral center of the archdiocese of Bangalore.
Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore honored the other Cardinal-designate Anthony Poola, the archbishop of Hyderabad, in a similar way.
Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras-Mylapore and CCBI vice president, in his felicitation message, said that “The nomination of two new cardinals from India is a special honor and recognition accorded to the Church in India and particularly to the CCBI. The Latin Church in India is grateful to Pope Francis and to the Holy See.”
Pope Francis on May 29 announced the names of Archbishops Ferrão and Poola among 20 new cardinals from around the world. They will be created cardinals August 27 at Consistory in Rome.
The new cardinals represent the Church worldwide, and reflect a wide variety of cultures, contexts and pastoral ministries, says a press release issued July 29 by CCBI deputy secretary general Father Stephen Alathara.
The report mentions: “The new cardinals represent the Church worldwide, and reflect a wide variety of cultures, contexts and pastoral ministries.”
This statement raises many questions. Are these cardinal elect-candidates truly representing the Church worldwide? Do they reflect a wide variety of cultures, contexts and pastoral ministries? These are million-dollar questions for which we may or may not find convincing answers.
It is my strong view that the CCBI deputy secretary general has made these “unrealistic statements” mainly to be in the good books of the Cardinals and the church authorities. This is part of the church politics.
The fundamental question is: Will these new cardinals truly represent the Indian Catholic Church and address the obstacles/challenges faced by the laity, the age-old caste problem, corruption and clerical sex abuses?
A Cardinal rises above any Cast in the Catholic Hierarchy. Please do not call him Dalit Cardinal