By Stanislaus Alla
Hyderabad, May 2, 2024: Not often a region in India gets three Catholic bishops consecrated in three weeks. The Catholic community in the Telugu speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in southern India, rejoices in having three shepherds who are expected to bring great energy and vitality into the dioceses.
Bishops Prakash Sagili for Khammam, Fransalian Dhaman Kumar Karnam of Nalgonda, and Carmelite Johannes Gorantla of Kurnool were consecrated in April. Sagili was anointed on April 9, the Telugu New Year Ugadi day, while Gorantla was consecrated on 24 and Karnam on 30.
Cardinal Antony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, consecrated all three bishops, jointly con-celebrated by the bishops of the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council and other dignitaries. Monsignors Kevin Kemtis and Juan Pablo Hernandez from the apostolic nunciature in New Delhi attended the first two events, and Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli attended the Nalgonda ceremonies. Several hundred priests and religious and thousands of lay faithful attended the celebrations.
All three new bishops and their dioceses have challenges. Kurnool diocese covers the historic area where, for the first time, Telugus were evangelized by the French Jesuits. The Jesuit Carnatic mission, beginning from the 1700s, was among the most successful ones in India. Bishop Gorantla, a Carmelite, will have to revitalize the faith of the people and make plans for the integral development of all in the area.
Nalgonda and Khammam dioceses were carved out of Warangal diocese which itself got separated from Hyderabad archdiocese, a vast region developed by members of Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (popularly known as PIME). Working between rivers Krishna and Godavari, the Italian PIME missionaries dedicated themselves to evangelizing and their operations brought much light and life.
Bishop Sagili looks forward to working for the wellbeing of all, Catholics and others alike in the diocese of Khammam, a relatively underdeveloped area in Telangana but with a significant Catholic footprint. Apart from working for the poor in general, he has a crucial opportunity to develop the Adivasis/tribals, by providing for their educational and healthcare needs.
Melting pot or salad bowl fits perfectly for the Nalgonda diocese. Catholics from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds live and flourish here and proximity to Hyderabad throws up great opportunities for their advancement. Bishop Karnam, who hails from Vijayanagaram is expected to bring freshness and vitality to the clergy, religious and laity. He was doing pastoral ministry in Germany prior to his appointment.
What makes the three bishops unique is that they are appointed to far away dioceses, and two of them are religious. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the shepherding ministry. Bishop Sagili animated the youth ministry in his earlier avatar and recently served in the administration at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore.
The youngest among the three, Bishop Gorantla, 50, is a theologian and seasoned administrator. He was the rector at Teresianum College, Rome, when he was called to take up the new responsibility.
Like the rest of the nation, the Catholic Church in the Telugu states needs to double down its efforts at revitalizing itself. Unprecedented shifts and changes are taking place across the country, and possibly across the world.
Polarization, social, religious and political, is a major challenge. The many poor, deprived and denied of dignity and rights, seek support and guidance. In several parts of India, including Telangana, many Christians face violence and discrimination and they require assistance in organizing themselves to assert their rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Internally, there is an urgent need to revisualize the Church’s life and mission in light of the principles and fruits of Synodality. The families and communities, more in flux than ever, require spiritual revitalization so that their lives are anchored on God.
The new bishops, open and friendly, qualified and capable, will be able to initiate the process of reimagining a kind of Church visualized by the Second Vatican Council and fostering it. May they get cooperation and may their efforts bear fruits!
(Jesuit Father Stanislaus Alla teaches Moral Theology at Delhi’s Vidyajyoti College of Theology.)