By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, March 17, 2025: Capuchin Father Xavier Vadakkekara, who braved partial blindness to inject new life into India’s leading Church weekly “Indian Currents” and mentor many young journalists, died on March 16. He was 72.
The death occurred at 11:35 pm at Holy Family Hospital New Delhi, where he was admitted for the treatment of acute respiratory insufficiency.
Funeral details are awaited.
Father Xavier, as he was popularly known, was “a trailblazing Capuchin priest, journalist, and media leader who left an indelible mark on the Catholic media landscape in India,” says confrere Father Suresh Mathew, another former Indian Currents editor.
He ‘’was a driving force behind the Catholic Church’s efforts to engage with the world through the media. His visionary leadership, intellectual curiosity, and passion for social justice inspired a generation of Catholic journalists, writers, and thinkers,” Father Mathew said in his condolence message.
A J Philip, a veteran journalist associated with Father Xavier for years, says the Catholic priest injected new life into the Indian Currents, founded by the late Fr John Vallamattom as a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India publication.
Father Xavier became its editor when his congregation took over the weekly in the early 1990s when it was on the verge of closure.
Father Mathew’s message said the weekly, under his editorial guidance, “became beacons of progressive Catholic thought, tackling tough issues, and providing a platform for marginalized voices.”
He had done the same to Assisi, a Malayalam monthly magazine he edited earlier based at Kerala’s Bharananganam town.
Father Xavier’s “commitment to excellence, accuracy, and fairness earned him the respect and admiration of his peers and readers alike,” Father Mathew added.
Father Xavier was also the director of Media House in Delhi, playing “a pivotal role in shaping the Catholic Church’s publishing strategy in India. He was a master strategist, able to navigate the complexities of the media landscape with ease,” Father Mathew said.
“He never shied away from confronting the government or exposing fundamentalist elements in the country through his work at Indian Currents weekly.”
Father Xavier also addressed issues within the Church. “I recall a particularly striking cover page of Indian Currents that highlighted the denial of a funeral for a Catholic in a Kerala diocese, while also commending a bishop from North East India for his peace-building efforts among warring groups. His commitment to truth and justice was unwavering, and his legacy continues to inspire,” Father said.
Philip pointed out that Father Xavier had nine siblings, “Only two of them became householders; the rest chose a life of priesthood or religious service. Few families would have contributed as much human capital to the Church as his.”