Honour the virtuous and the holy: Cardinal Vithayathil
May 06, 2006
Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, the Major Archbisop of Syro Malabar Church says it is an honour and blessing that Pope Benedict XVI has deputed him for the first time to preside over the beatification ceremony of Father Augustine Thevarparambil.
Kochi (Indian Catholic, April 26, 2006) -- Father Augustine Thevarparambil, popularly known as Kunjachan, the humble priest from the village of Ramapuram in Kerala, will be beatified in the local village church on April 30.
This is for the first time that the Vatican has given permission for conducting the beatification ceremony of an Indian sainthood candidate in his own village church.
Addressing a press conference on the eve of the beatification ceremony, Cardinal Vithayathil said that it is “really an honour and blessing for me that as Major Archbishop and Cardinal I am deputed by the Pope to preside over the ceremony in which Kunjachan will be proclaimed Blessed.’
“The world values the rich, the powerful and the beautiful but not the virtues and the holy” said the head of the Syro Malabar Church.
“Catholic church gives paramount importance to saints. Those who have lived natural and supernatural virtues are our heroes and heroines. They are venerated in our altars,” he said.
The Cardinal said that is why beatification or canonisation is feast in our church. “The Church tells the world that the real heroes, who must inspire us, are the holy ones often unknown and unrecognised by the world,” Cardinal Vithayathil pointed out.
According to Bishop Joseph Kallarngat of Pala Diocese, Cardinal Vithayathil will lead the beatification ceremony which will be attended by representatives from Vatican, some 70 bishops, hundreds of priests and religious and lay men from across the country.
Cardinal Sodano, the Secretary of State has written to the Major Archbishop Cardinal Vithayathil informing him of the permission of the Pope to conduct the beatification ceremony of the Venerable Servant of God Augustine Thervarparampil at Ramapuram and asking him to preside over the ceremony in the name of the Pope.
Pope John Paul II was personally conducting the beatification ceremony, while Pope Benedict XVI is deputing a Cardinal to do the same in his name. The Pope conducts only Canonization ceremony which is last rite in the process of making a saint by the Vatican.
Kunjachan was born in the village in on April 1, 1891. He was ordained priest, belonging to the diocese of Pala, in 1921.
Interestingly during most of his priestly career, Kunjachan stayed in his own parish, the St. Augistine’s church at Ramapuram as one among the three assistant parish priests for more than 40 years.
Kunjachan died on 16th October 1973. Soon after his death, his tomb at the St. Augustine Church became a centre of pilgrimage for people from far and wide. According to parish priest Father Mathew Narivelil, the biography and the prayer for intercession of Kunjachan have been published in many Indian and European languages.
After Kunjachan was declared a Servant of God, an elaborate enquiry about his life and virtues was followed by a diocesan tribunal. Father Kurian Mathoth prepared the ‘positio’ on the virtues and submitted it to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints in Rome on 12 Feb. 1997.
He will be the fourth Blessed in the Kerala Catholic church, the other three are Blessed Sr. Alphonsa of Baranaganam, Blessed Fr.Kuriakose Elias of Chavara and Blessed Mother Mariam Threisa of Ollur.
Bishop Joseph Kallarangat of Palai, Bishop Thomas Chakiath, the Auxiliary Bishop of Ernakualm-Angamaly, the organizing committee members of the ceremony from Ramapuram and the Vice-Postulator Fr. Kurian Mathoth participated in the press meet.
Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India, some 100 Bishops and more than one lakh faithful will participate in the beatification ceremony at Ramapuram.
Honour the virtuous and the holy: Cardinal Vithayathil