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The Hindu
22-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
From Mother Teresa to the Martyrs of Otranto: People canonised by Pope Francis
The Pope can make decrees to honour Catholics to honour them in their death as saints. This act of publicly revering the person after death and entering their name in the canon catalogue is called canonisation. Pope Francis has canonised 911 saints in 68 causes, which includes the 813 Martyrs of Otranto as a group. Who are the Martyrs of Otranto? On May 12, 2013, Pope Francis announced the canonisation of Antonio Primaldo and his companions, better known as the 'Martyrs of Otranto' , who gained the term 'martyr' as they died at the hands of the Turkish invaders in 1480 for refusing to convert to Islam. A fleet of Ottoman Empire reached Otranto on June 28, 1480. The Italian coastal town, then under the king of Naples, had a little more than 800 inhabitants. With the commander fleeing, the inhabitants were left to defend themselves. They took shelter in the castle, which was eventually breached on August 12. It is said that the Turks urged the residents to convert to Islam, and since none agreed, they were all executed at the Colle della Minerva, now known as Martyrs' Hills. The names of the martyrs are unknown, except Antonio Primaldo, who is believed to be the first one to be beheaded. Though beatified by Clement XIV in 1771, it was Benedict XVI who officially proclaimed them martyrs for the faith. Who are some prominent Indians canonised by Pope Francis? Mother Teresa was canonised as a saint on September 4, 2021, by Pope Francis, 19 years after her death . She was committed to serving the poor and sick on the streets of Kolkata and did so for 45 years. 'Pope Francis today approved Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood and set September 4 as the date for her canonisation,' said a message from the Vatican to the Mother's House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. Devasahayam Pillai was the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis. He embraced Christianity in the 18th century and received his canonisation by the Pope on May 15 during an impressive canonisation ceremony at the Vatican. Devasahayam was recommended for the process of Beatification by the Vatican in 2004, at the request of the Kottar diocese, Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Can the Pope strip anyone of sainthood? Canonisation or ascribing sainthood is considered, or an unerring and perfect act, only when the pope himself proclaims a person a saint . Once declared a saint, the person remains one permanently; they cannot be 'de-canonised'. However, there are instances where the Church has re-evaluated past beatifications (ceremony recognising a deceased person as worthy of limited public veneration) or questioned historical figures' reputations. Some of them are: Saint Junípero Serra – Although there was much criticism towards this, Pope Francis canonised Junípero Serra in 2015. Much of the criticism was regarding his role in the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in California. Pope Pius XII - Pope Pius XII's actions during WWII, particularly concerning the Holocaust, were a cause of concern. Pope Francis ordered the unsealing of it in the Vatican archives to re-evaluate his beatification. Beatification of Archbishop Óscar Romero - Óscar Romero, a Salvadoran archbishop, was assassinated in 1980. The cause for his beatification being blocked multiple times in the past under previous popes was due to claims of leftist political ties. Pope Francis changed that by canonising him a saint in 2018. Father Giuseppe Beotti - Pope Francis halted the beatification of Father Giuseppe Beotti, an Italian priest executed by Nazis, in 2023 over doubts regarding his documentation.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Sainthoods, Cardinal elevation: a papacy marked by a keen engagement with India
Although Pope Francis could not fulfil his long-held wish to visit India, he had elevated an Indian priest, who is a Vatican official, just months ago to the rank of Cardinal — a notable moment for the Catholic community in the country. Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Easter Monday. He was 88. The Pope was diagnosed with double pneumonia. His efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict over how Holy Mass is performed in the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Oriental Catholic Churches, did not succeed. Meanwhile, Pope Francis also moved forward with the sainthood causes of a few much-revered Indian figures, offering quiet moments of pride for many of the faithful. During his papacy, Pope Francis elevated Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal from Kerala to sainthood in 2014. In 2019, another Kerala-born Catholic nun, Mariam Thresia, was declared a saint by Pope Francis at a function held at St Peter's Basilica in Rome. She was the third nun and fourth clergy member from the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church to be canonised into the league of saints. His papacy also saw Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, being declared a saint — becoming the first Indian layman to be canonised. Devasahayam was recommended for the process of beatification by the Vatican in 2004, at the request of the Kottar Diocese, the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council, and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Pope Francis canonised Blessed Devasahayam Pillai, along with nine others, during a canonisation mass at the iconic St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in 2022. It was in a grand consistory held at the Vatican on 7 December, 2024, that 51-year-old Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at St. Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new Cardinals from various countries. Hailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala, Koovakad's appointment brought the total number of Indian Cardinals to six, further strengthening the country's representation in the Vatican. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior leaders, and heads of churches across India welcomed the announcement with joy and pride. The Government of India sent a delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian to witness the ceremony. Prior to the event, the Indian delegation also had an audience with Pope Francis. Koovakad has been organising Pope Francis's international travels since 2020. Previously, Koovakad, who held the title of Monsignor, was declared the Titular Archbishop of Nisibis in Turkey. He is currently based in the Vatican. During his papacy, the Syro-Malabar Church was marred by crisis, with a strong section of priests and members of the Church community in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese disagreeing with the Syro-Malabar Church's August 2021 decision on uniform Holy Mass. This decision mandated a standardised way of conducting Holy Mass, where priests are required to face the congregation only at the beginning and end of the service, turning towards the altar for the rest of the Mass (known as the 50:50 formula).
NDTV
21-04-2025
- General
- NDTV
New Indian Cardinal, Unfulfilled Visit: Pope Francis' Bond With India
Kochi: Pope Francis's connection with India was marked by a mix of hopes and challenges. His long-held wish to visit the country remained unfulfilled. However, just months ago, he elevated an Indian priest, who is a Vatican official, to the rank of Cardinal--a notable moment for the Catholic community there. Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Easter Monday. He was 88. The Pope was diagnosed for double pneumonia. His efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict over how Holy Mass is performed in the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Oriental Catholic Churches, did not succeed. Meanwhile, Pope Francis also moved forward with the sainthood causes of a few much-revered Indian figures, offering quite moments of pride for many of the faithful. During his papacy, in 2014, Pope Francis elevated Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal from Kerala to sainthood. In 2019, another Kerala-born Catholic nun, Mariam Thresia, was declared a saint by Pope Francis at a function held at St Peter's Basilica in Rome. She was the third nun and fourth clergy member from the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church to be canonised into the league of saints. His papacy also saw Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, being declared a saint--becoming the first Indian layman to be canonised. Devasahayam was recommended for the process of beatification by the Vatican in 2004, at the request of the Kottar Diocese, the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council, and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Pope Francis canonised Blessed Devasahayam Pillai, along with nine others, during a canonisation mass at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in 2022. It was in a grand consistory held at the Vatican on 7 December, 2024, that 51-year-old Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at the iconic St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new Cardinals from various countries. Hailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala, Koovakad's appointment brought the total number of Indian Cardinals to six, further strengthening the country's representation in the Vatican. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior leaders, and heads of churches across India welcomed the announcement with joy and pride. The Government of India sent a delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian to witness the ceremony. Prior to the event, the Indian delegation also had an audience with Pope Francis. Koovakad has been organising Pope Francis's international travels since 2020. Previously, Koovakad, who held the title of Monsignor, was declared the Titular Archbishop of Nisibis in Turkey. He is currently based in the Vatican. Soon after his elevation, Cardinal Koovakad said that Pope Francis's visit to India would most likely be after 2025, which has been announced as the "Jubilee Year" by the Catholic Church, due to celebrations in Rome during that year. When asked about the Pope's visit, he said that it was not clear when Francis would come to India. "Chances are that it will be after 2025, which is the Jubilee Year. There are a lot of celebrations in Rome during that year, and therefore the Pope will most likely be there," he had told reporters. At the same time, he had also said that a visit by the Pope in the near future could not be ruled out. During his papacy, the Syro-Malabar Church was marred by crisis, with a strong section of priests and members of the Church community in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese disagreeing with the Syro-Malabar Church's August 2021 decision on uniform Holy Mass. This decision mandated a standardised way of conducting Holy Mass, where priests are required to face the congregation only at the beginning and end of the service, turning towards the altar for the rest of the Mass (known as the 50:50 formula). While most dioceses under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church have adopted this approach, many priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, along with their parishioners, continue to oppose it. They argue that it breaks from the tradition wherein the priest faces the congregation throughout the entire Mass. It was during the peak of the crisis that Cardinal George Alencherry announced his resignation as Head of the Syro-Malabar Church in 2023. His decision came amid an ongoing feud in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, involving the implementation of a uniform Holy Mass and the church's land dealings. Alencherry held the position of Major Archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. Following his resignation, Bishop Raphael Thattil was elevated as the head of the Syro-Malabar Church.
