Kerala gets another cardinal

Mar Cleemis is the fifth cardinal from the state

Thiruvananthapuram: The church in Kerala got a surprise boost when it got a second cardinal, which also led to the unprecedented situation of the state having two cardinals at the same time. The surprise announcement of the head of the Syro-Malankara church, Catholicos Baselios Mar Cleemis, being elevated as cardinal was made by the Pope, Benedict XVI in the Vatican.

The announcement means Kerala now has two cardinals, the other being Mar George Alanchery of the Syro-Malabar church, who was made cardinal earlier this year. Mar Cleemis is the fifth cardinal from Kerala, and the first cardinal for the Syro-Malankara church. At 53 years, Mar Cleemis is also among the youngest cardinals in the universal Catholic church. He is also the 12th cardinal from India.

“I see it as a great honour and recognition for India and Kerala. It also means that the universal Catholic church requires great commitment from the Malankara church. It is a pointer to the apostolic role of the Syro-Malankara church”, Mar Cleemis told a local television channel shortly after the announcement of his elevation as cardinal was made in the Vatican.

The new cardinal, an alumnus of St Berchmans college, Changanacherry and a former vicar in Thiruvalla, said the Catholic church’s decision to raise him to a cardinal, making it two cardinals at the same time from Kerala, was also reflective of the Catholic church taking notice of the service of Keralites around the world for the universal church.

The former cardinals from Kerala are Mar Joseph Parekkattil, Mar Antony Padiyara and Mar Varkey Vithayathil. Mar George Alanchery was named cardinal earlier this year following the demise of cardinal Vithayathil.

Cardinal Cleemis was born the fifth child of T.M. Mathew and Annamma at Mallappally in central Travancore in 1959. He studied philosophy at the Aluva St Joseph’s seminary and theology at the Pune Papal seminary. He became a priest in 1986, and earned a doctorate in ecumenism in 1997 from the St Thomas Pontifical seminary in Rome. In the Syro-Malankara church, his predecessors were Mar Ivanios, Mar Gregorios and Cyril Mar Baselios.

When will Eastern Catholic patriarchs stop hankering for a minor honorific of the Latin Church, and insist on the superior dignity and status inherent in their own positions?

I agree and, while we're at it, let's deep six this Vatican double-speak neologism "Major Archbishop"! He is the Catholicos!

And Vladyka Sviatoslav is the Patriarch. As Father Taft said, simply return all mail addressed to Major Archbishop So-and-So marked "Addresee Unknown", until Rome accepts the truth on the ground.

To be cardinal is not only a honorific position, but it includes also to determine the next pope. With this consistory the elector cardinals for Eastern Churches raise to five

Five electors means 5/120=4.1%, while the ratio of Eastern Catholics on the total Catholics is about 18.3M/1,181.4M= 1.5%: so surely the Eastern Catholics are proportionally well represented in the conclave, even if due to their particularity we can hope for e even more higher representation.

Too much fuss made is for a voting right. Though practically it doesn't do anything better to the church practically, its a small step to recognize importance of eastern churches. Rome has still miles to go in accepting eastern and oriental churches in whole form.

On another thought I am suspicious if Pope has something in his mind to grab some eastern attention, with sudden love for eastern christians?

Right. The highest rank in the Eastern Rite has usually been Metropolitan Archbishop. I don't think any Metropolitan has ever gone on to be Cardinal or Pope, because I think the Vatican looks at the Latin hierarchy, and assumes that's the one they have to go with when it comes to electing Popes or when Cardinals are named. I'm sure there'll be equality between the Rites again, but I doubt it'll be anytime soon.

Patriarchs? We got 'em.



As noted, one was just named, and he's hardly the first.



All the problems with a member of an Eastern Church being a Cardinal apply to one being Pope, but moreso.

Of course the Cardinals can elect whomever they like, even someone not a member of the College.

A reminder: the Catholicos, along with Patriarch Peter Beshara will be formally recognized as Cardinal on Nov. 24th at St. Peter's Basilica

Alright, another Cardinal from Generation X!

Take that Baby Boomers!

[quote=Peter J]Alright, another Cardinal from Generation X!

Take that Baby Boomers! [/quote]

Sorry, born 1959, he is still a boomer. Gen X does not start till after the Kennedy assassination.

Hmm, touche.

6 new cardinals - video

http://www.romereports.com/palio/index.php?newlang=english

Glad that Moran mor baselios cleemis catholicos did not compromise on vestments, do did maronito patriarch. Perhaps they were the only two cardinals with different vestments.

what "truth on the ground"?

Bishop Hefele learned the hard way who is boss.

"It is true that I stood on the side of the opposition. But thereby I made use of my right; for the question was proposed for discussion. However, once the decision had been made, to tarry in the opposition party would have been inconsistent with my whole past. I would have set my own infallibility in the place of the infallibility the Church." [From a discourse of Bishop Reiser at the burial of Bishop Hefele (Rottenburg, 1893), p. 11]

Who to speak better of himself than he? Bishop Reiser is, of course, quoting Bishop Hefele.