By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, March 18, 2023: Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Powathil, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and a leader of the traditionalists in the Syro-Malabar Church, died March 18 in Changanacherry, Kerala.
The death occurred at 1:17 pm in Thomas Hospital, Chethipuza, Changanacherry, where he was admitted a few days ago and was on the ventilator. He was 93.
The funeral is scheduled at 9:30 am on March 22 at the Metropolitan Church, Changanacherry.
He was a priest for 60 years and a bishop for 51 years.
Archbishop Powathil, a soft-spoken prelate and economist, headed Changanacherry archdiocese for 22 year from 1985. He was the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishop during 1972-1977. He was then transferred to Changanacherry as its first bishop.
He was born August 14, 1929, at Kurumbanadom, a village near Changanacherry. He was known as Pappachan in his childhood, and was officially known as P J Joseph. He studied at Holy Family LP School and St. Peter’s UP School, and then at St. Berchmans’ High School in Changanacherry. He attended St. Berchmans’ College, Changanacherry for a BA Economics and Loyola College, Chennai (then Madras) for M A in economics
He did his seminary studies in St. Thomas Petit Seminary, Parel and Papal Seminary Pune.
He was ordained a priest on October 3, 1962, at Pune and was appointed lecturer in Economics and warden of St. Joseph’s Hostel, St. Berchmans’ College.
He was in the campus ministry for one decade beginning in 1962. He was ordained a bishop by Pope Paul V1 on February 13, 1972, in Rome.
Archbishop Powathil led the Indian bishops’ conference for four years from 1994. He was also the president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (1993–1996), and chairman of the Education Commission of the Indian bishops’ conference.
He was a member of the Post Asian Synodal Council in Rome, for nine years from 1998. He chaired the Kerala bishops’ Commission for Education (1986-2007). He was the founder chairman of the Inter Church Council for Education, chairman of Inter Religious Fellowship, member of the Pro Oriente Foundation in Vienna, Austria and member of the Scientific Commission of International Publication ‘Oasis’ in Venice, Italy.
He had written several books and published scores of articles on liturgy and eastern theology as well as on matters related to the Church and secular society, especially the field of education. He spent his retired life writing on the Church and social issues.
As the Kanjirapally bishop, he founded the Peerumedu Development Society and the Malanadu Development Society in 1977. He also founded the Kuttanadu Vikasana Samithy (Kuttanad development society). As the patron of the Changanacherry Social Service Society , he oversaw numerous developmental schemes. Many scholarship schemes were set up for the Dalit Christians in the archdiocese and the poor and eligible students of the professional courses.
He had worked hard to preserve and develop the traditions of his Syro-Malabar Church.
Archbishop Powathil has pushed for the restoration of East Syriac traditions in the Syro-Malabar Church and fought for the complete revival of the Divine Liturgy, which he believed was Latinized after the Synod of Diamper in 1599.
These efforts created several critics for him, who accused him of forcing adoption of Church of the East practices.
Archbishop Powathil also fought for the Syro-Malabar Church’s right to open its missions outside Kerala, its base, despite opposition from the Latin rite bishops. The tussle led to an impasse during the 1984 biennial meeting of the bishops’ conference in Nagpur. The meeting was halted for a day and the bishops could resume the plenary only after a day of recollection under a Jesuit priest.