By Matters India Reporter
Bengaluru, August 27, 2022: Pope Francis on August 27 made 20 prelates, including Indian Archbishops Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa and Daman and Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, in a consistory held at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
Cardinal Ferrao is the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (Latin Rite).
The ceremony was attended by thousands of faithful from around the world, including India.
Cardinals Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, attended the ceremony along with Cardinals George Cardinal Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Baselios Cleemis, head of the Syro-Malankara Church.
Other participants were Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, Bishop Jaya Rao Polimera of Eluru, Joseph Raja Rao of Vijayawada, and Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras of Bangalore.
The 20 new cardinals represent the Church worldwide and reflect a wide variety of cultures, contexts and pastoral ministries, says a press note from CCBI deputy secretary general Father Stephen Alathara.
Seven of the new cardinals are from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America and four from Central and Latin America. Of the 20, 16 are cardinal electors under 80 years of age and thus eligible to participate in a conclave. The College of Cardinals currently consists of 229 cardinals, of which 131 are electors and 98 non-electors.
Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, and Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, were made cardinals during their tenure as presidents of the CCBI, in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Cardinal Ferrão is the third CCBI president to be elevated to the cardinalate, the press note says.
Cardinal Ferrão, born on January 20, 1953, in Aldona, Goa, was ordained priest October 28, 1979. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman at the age of 40 by Pope John Paul II on December 20, 1993. His episcopal ordination was April 10, 1994. On December 12, 2003, he was appointed the archbishop of Goa and Daman and patriarch of the East Indies and installed on March 21, 2004.
He was elected as the CCBI president at its 31st plenary assembly in 2019.As the CCBI president he is a member of the Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
Cardinal Poola, was born November 15, 1961, at Chindhukur, Andhra Pradesh, and joined the minor seminary in Kurnool and subsequently studied at St. Peter’s Pontifical Major Seminary, Bangalore. He was ordained a priest on February 20, 1992. At the age of 46, he was appointed Bishop of Kurnool on February 8, 2008. His episcopal ordination was on April 19, 2008. On November 19, 2020, at the age of 59, he was appointed the archbishop of Hyderabad. His installation was on January 3, 2021.
He was the chairman for the Youth Commission of the Telugu Regional Bishops’ Council, dhairman for Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes Commission, chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Social Service Society, secretary general and treasurer of the Telugu Regional Bishops’ Council, chairman of the Sikh Village Campus, Secretariat for TCBC Priests Community and Chairman of the Jeevan in-state Printing Press.
Hearty congratulations. Cardinals are pillars of humble service to humanity. Wishing the young and the young at heart Cardinals strength and stamina. God bless.
The two Indian Archbishops have officially become Cardinals now. In my view, the chapter ends here. What will be their constructive contributions to reform the Indian Catholic Church? This is a million-dollar question.
There is no “Performance Appraisal System” in the Catholic Church for the priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals. If this system exists, only 5 percent will qualify.
Values such as Responsibility, Transparency and Democracy are not given due importance in the Catholic Church. This is yet another irony in the Catholic Church.