By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, April 26, 2023: Bishop Isidore Fernandes, who was sacked by the Vatican ten years before his term could end, died April 26 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was 76.
Bishop Fernandes died of a massive heart attack at 5:30 pm in Nazareth Hospital in the city.
He was the bishop of Allahabad from August 4, 1988 to January 31, 2013. At the time of his episcopal ordination, he was one of the youngest Catholic bishops in India. He was a priest for 50 years and a bishop for 34 years.
He was born January 2, 1947, in Shirva, Karnataka, formerly in Mangalore diocese and now in Udupi diocese. He is the eldest among three sons and two daughters Casmir Fernandes and Lucy Fernandes. His sister Florin Fernandes is a nun in the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
After his school studies at St. Mary’s High School in Shirva, joined St. Paul’s Minor Seminary in Lucknow in1963. He was sent to Papal Seminary, Pune, to study philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest for Allahabad diocese October 29, 1972.
As priest he served as an assistant parish priest in Holy Rosary Church, Pratapgarh, as Vice Principal at St Joseph’s College, Allahabad, as the director of the Nazareth Hospital, Allahabad, as the diocesan procurator, as the principal of St. Joseph’s College, Allahabad and the vicar general of Allahabad diocese.
After the retirement of Bishop Baptist Mudartha of Allahabad, Father Isidore Fernandes was appointed as his successor by Pope St. John Paul II on May 5, 1988, when he was 41.
He was a member of the National Youth Office as well as the National Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. He was also a member of the CCBI Commission for Evangelisation. On the Agra Regional level, he was the chairman of the Youth Commission. He was also the Chairman of the St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad for three continuous terms of five years.
Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Allahabad.
Bishop Fernandes was forced to resign by the Vatican for ordaining the first bishop of a homegrown charismatic community that is independent of any church.
On November 4, 2012, he consecrated R B Lal as a bishop of an independent church, known as “Yesu Darbar” (The Court of Jesus).
Lal was the vice-chancellor of the Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture and Technology, also known as Allahabad Agricultural Institute.
The Canon Law of the Catholic Church says, “The bishop who, without a pontifical mandate, consecrates a person a bishop, and the one who receives the consecration from him, incur a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.” (Canon law 1382).
The ordination reported as a full-page color advertisement on the front page of the Hindustan Times a day after the ordination, causing shock and scandal in the diocese. Some reported the matter to the nuncio in New Delhi, who then asked Bishop Fernandes to resign.
Announcing the resignation on January 31, 2013, the Vatican said Bishop Fernandes, who was 66 then, was leaving his office under the terms of Canon 401.2 of the Code of Canon Law, which covers “ill health or some other grave cause.”
RIP Bishop Isidore Fernandes. In Paradisum deducant te Angeli.
Late bishop violated the canon law and so he was forced to resign. We understand this.
What about Frightening Franco who raped the nun? He just bought the single judge’s verdict with his money. Why is the canon law silent about this rapist? Even if the sexual relationship with the nun was consensual, he deserves suspension.
Why is the canon law silent about villain William? He is sent on “leave” instead of suspension.
Why did the Nuncio force Bishop Antony Kariyil to resign for no fault of his? What was his offense? Which canon law was applied?
There are ample loopholes in the Canon law. This is misused to punish the non-corrupt clergy and used to protect the corrupt and criminal clergy. Indeed it is a sad state of affairs in the Catholic Church!
Late sententiae ex-communication is an automatic one, without being given an opportunity to be heard. It is also applied to a woman procuring an abortion regardless of the circumstances. This defies all basics of natural jurisprudence, and especially unfair to women who cannot afford to hire expensive Canon Lawyers.
Allahabad is my parent diocese and though I never saw eye to eye with him, I nevertheless wrote on several occasions that the sentence was disproportionate to the offence. There are several errant bishops in India who have committed greater offences but are still continuing as bishops.
May Bp Isidore now be welcomed into Abraham’s bosom.