The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI)on Saturday elected country’s first-ever Dalit Cardinal and Archbishop of Hyderabad Poola Anthony as its new President during the 37th general body meeting. With this historical appointment via election, 64-year-old Anthony has now become the first Dalit prelate to head India’s nearly two crore Catholics.
CBCI on Poola Anthony’s appointment
“Cardinal Poola Anthony assumes leadership of the Catholic Church in India at a crucial moment, bringing with him decades of pastoral experience, administrative leadership, and a strong commitment to the Church’s mission in service of faith, justice, and human dignity,” a press statement from CBCI read.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the church in India is undergoing “severe distress” on account of persecution of pastors and believers by “fringe elements”.
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Anthony would now be in charge of leading delegations of the church to bargain for minority rights in the country, The Indian Express reported citing sources. The previous CBCI president was Archbishop Andrews Thazhathu from Kerala.
Early life of Cardinal Poola Anthony
Cardinal Poola Anthony was born on November 15, 1961, in Poluru in the Diocese of Kurnool. After completing his formation at the minor seminary in Nuzvid, he pursued priestly studies at Saint Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru. He was ordained a priest on February 20, 1992, and incardinated into the Diocese of Kadapa.
From 2001 to 2003, he pursued higher studies in the United States, earning a Master’s degree in pastoral care and attending a theology course at Loyola University, Chicago.
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During his education Anthony also offered pastoral ministry service at Saint Genevieve Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Cardinal Poola Anthony’s practice throughout the years
In the initial years of his priestly ministry, he served as parish vicar at Saint Mary’s Cathedral (1992-1993) and Amagampalli (1993-1994), followed by pastoral service as parish priest in Tekurpet (1994-1995), Badvel (1995-2000), and Veerapalli (2000–2001).
From 2004 to 2008, Cardinal Poola Anthony served as Director of the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. According to a report by The Indian Express, during his time as the director for the christian foundation, Anthony championed several key responsibilities in the Diocese of Kadapa, including diocesan consultor, secretary for education, deputy administrator of diocesan schools, and coordinator of the Sponsorship Programme.
After serving in various pastoral roles in Kadapa, he was appointed Bishop of Kurnool in 2008 and Archbishop of Hyderabad in 2020. In August 2022, Pope Francis proclaimed him a Cardinal, assigning him the titular church of Ss. Protomartiri a Via Aurelia Antica.
Cardinal Anthony’s election is seen as a major step toward addressing long-standing grievances regarding representation within the Church hierarchy. Despite comprising a vast majority of the faithful, Dalit Christians have historically been underrepresented in senior leadership roles. |
