Two milestones: Hyderabad gets first Dalit Cardinal; Goa gets Cardinal after 465 years

On Saturday, India got two new Cardinals and both elevations were historic. While Archbishop Anthony Poola of Hyderabad became the first Dalit Christian to enter the College of Cardinals, which elects the Pope, the elevation of Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao do Rosario Ferrao meant that Goa got a cardinal after 465 years. With this, the total number of Indian cardinals has gone up to six.

On Saturday, the Pope Francis elevated 20 churchmen as new cardinals in the consistory ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. Pope Francis has called for a meeting of all the Cardinals from August 29 to 30. The meeting will end with a holy mass presided by the Pope.

First Telugu Cardinal

Archbishop Poola’s installation came three months after Pope Francis named him as one of the new Cardinals of the Catholic Church. Apart from being the first Dalit to become a Cardinal, Anthony is also the first Telugu to rise to this position.

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Sixty-two-year-old Anthony Poola, from Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, led the diocese of Kurnool for over 12 years before being appointed as Archbishop of Hyderabad in 2020 by Pope Francis.

Sixth Goan to attain the rank

Archbishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao do Rosario Ferrao is only the sixth person of Goan origin to attain the rank. He was born on January 20, 1953, in Aldona village of Panaji and has been guiding the local church since 2003.

The 69-year-old had begun his religious studies in the Seminary of Our Lady in Saligao and then went to the Papal Seminary in Pune. He later completed his graduation in philosophy and theology. He is fluent in Konkani, English, Italian, French, Portuguese and German languages.

Later, he was decreed as a priest on October 28, 1979, following which on December 12, 2003, he was consecrated as Archbishop of Goa and Daman by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis had announced in May that he would be elevating churchmen, including two from India, to the rank of Cardinal. The Pope had picked 21 new cardinals, but Belgian Bishop (retired) Luc Van Looy declined the honour, citing his own inadequate handling of issues of sexually abusive priests while he led the Ghent diocese from 2004-2020.

Pope Francis reminded the cardinals of their mission, which he said includes “an openness to all peoples, to the horizons of the world, to the peripheries as yet unknown.”

The Pope hints at retiring

The Pope has raised the possibility of retiring due to his declining health, a path taken by his predecessor Benedict XVI. If he were to do so, a conclave involving all cardinals aged under 80 would be called to pick a successor.

Sixteen of the 20 cardinals created Saturday would be eligible for that conclave based on their ages.

The ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica was the 85-year-old pope’s eighth since being elected in 2013 and included clergy known for their pastoral work and, in some cases, progressive views.

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All new cardinals attended the ceremony, except for Ghana’s Richard Kuuia Baawobr, who had to be hospitalised over a cardiac issue. After this weekend, Francis will have chosen 83 out of the 132 cardinals currently qualified to elect a new Pope.

The pope also named the youngest cardinal in the world, 48-year-old Italian missionary Giorgio Marengo, who works in Mongolia.