Hyderabad: Hyderabad Archbishop Poola Anthony was named among the 21 churchmen who would be elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis on August 27, it was announced on Sunday.
Archbishop Anthony, 61, would be the first-ever Telugu prelate to receive the honour.
The Pope also named Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastao di Rosario Ferrao as a Cardinal. Archbishop Ferraro will also be the first Cardinal from Goa.
Following their elevation there will be six Cardinals from India, of whom five can vote to elect the future Pope. The Pope will hold a Consistory in Vatican City to appoint the new Cardinals on August 27.
The Catholic community in the Telugu states was jubilant. Vicar General Yeruva Balashowry Reddy was elated when the announcement came in at 12 noon, Vatican time.
Archbishop Anthony, a native of Chindukur village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, was anointed Hyderabad Archbishop on January 3, 2021, after being appointed on November 19, 2020. Born in 1961, Archbishop Anthony joined the minor seminary in Kurnool and studied at St Peter’s Pontifical Major Seminary, Bengaluru. He was ordained a priest in 1992 and later appointed Bishop of Kurnool in February 2008. Since then, he has served the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Conference in various capacities.
He will continue to serve as Hyderabad Archbishop, having jurisdiction over Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal and surrounding districts of Hyderabad. He will also oversee the Diocese of Adilabad, Kadapa, Khammam, Kurnool, Nalgonda and Warangal.
The College of Cardinals consists of 208 Cardinals, of whom 117 are electors and 91 non-electors. On August 27, the number will grow to 229, of whom 131 will be electors.
Eight of the newly named Cardinals are from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and four from Central and Latin America. New cardinals from other developing countries include, apart from two from India, Archbishops in Ekwulobia in Nigeria, Manaus and Brasilia in Brazil, Wa in Ghana, and Asuncion in Paraguay.
The new Cardinals will meet on August 29 and 30 to reflect on the new Apostolic Constitution Predicate evangelium.
India currently has four Cardinals. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, 77, of Mumbai was appointed adviser to the Pope, the others are Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal (62) and Cardinal George Alencherry (77) of Kerala and Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo (82) of Jharkhand. The church bars those above 80 years of age from voting in the papal election when it is due.
