prominent figures of kerala church-71
Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil

Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, was born on May 29, 1927, in North Paravur, Ernakulam Archdiocese. His father, Rev. Joseph Vithayathil, was a member of the Travancore Legislative Assembly and a judge in the High Court of Trivandrum. His mother, Thresiamma, is the second of the couple’s nine children. Varkey grew up under the guidance of Rev. Joseph Vithayathil, who led a holy life, and developed a desire to become a priest.

Varkey studied at St. Joseph’s High School in Thiruvananthapuram and at University College. He earned a degree in Chemistry from St. Joseph’s College, Thirshinappally, and later joined the Divine Redeemer Congregation in Bangalore. He completed his theological education and was ordained on June 12, 1954. Subsequently, he was sent to Rome for advanced studies, where he obtained a doctorate in Canon Law from the Angelicum University.

For 25 years, Varkey taught Canon Law and other subjects in seminaries in Bangalore, including the Divine Redeemer, Salesian, and Franciscan seminaries, as well as at the Capuchin seminary in Kotagiri. After earning a Master’s degree in Indian Philosophy from Karnataka University in 1972, he taught Indian philosophy at the Redemptorist seminary in Bangalore and served as a professor of theology at the Vadavathur seminary.

From 1978 to 1984, Varkey served as the Provincial Superior of the Divine Redeemer Congregation’s Bangalore Province. He was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Ashirvanam Benedictine Ashram in Bangalore from 1990 to 1996. He later relocated to the Divine Redeemer House in Chowvara, within the Ernakulam Archdiocese. Father Vithayathil played a key role in the formation of the Syro-Malabar Vice Province of the Divine Redeemer Congregation.

Although the Syro-Malabar Church has a rich history and a strong faith tradition, its operational freedom was restricted after the arrival of the Portuguese, which limited its activities despite having had considerable autonomy across India. In recent years, there have been disagreements within the Church regarding worship practices and ecclesiastical governance, leading to public demonstrations and tensions that have deeply affected the community.

The faithful believed that appointing a leader would be a way to resolve these issues. In response to a study commissioned by a pontifical commission that visited Kerala, the Syro-Malabar Church was elevated to the status of a Major Archiepiscopal Church. This marked the first time a Church division was granted this status after the Ukrainian Church in the Eastern Churches. Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara was appointed as the leader of the Church.

Not all rights available to a typical episcopal community were granted to us; many remained under the jurisdiction of Rome. The disunity within our Church paved the way for synodal action. However, disagreements were not entirely resolved. Following the demise of Archbishop Mar Kattumangattu and the resignation of Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara, efforts were made to find a new leader for the Church. Rome identified Varkey Vithayathil as the new leader, a member of the Divine Redeemer Congregation and a religious priest.The Kerala Church has previously had two cardinals. The first was Cardinal Joseph Parecattil, and the second was Cardinal Antony Padiyara. Following them, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil was appointed. The installation ceremony took place on February 21-22, 2001. The ceremony in Rome was attended by family members and friends of the clergy from Rome, Germany, and America. John Kachiramat, President of the Catholic Congress, also participated. Upon returning to Kerala, the new archbishop received a warm welcome.

During Cardinal Vithayathil’s tenure, the Syro-Malabar Church experienced significant growth, with new dioceses established in places like Balthangady, Idukki, Adilabad, and Chicago, USA.

The archbishop has consistently focused on responding to contemporary issues and taking appropriate actions. His call to assist tsunami victims was embraced by the entire Church. When Cardinal Vithayathil was elevated, he shared insights in an interview with Satyadeepam, helping to understand his thoughts and actions.

“I believe we must deepen our lives through family prayers and liturgical practices, while also demonstrating our loyalty to the chair of St. Peter. We should take pride in our pastoral work, not for the fame of the family or the grandeur of the parish, but in the greatness of service.

I wish for increased collaboration between diocesan clergy and a large number of religious. There should be more understanding, respect, and cooperation among those in missions within the diocese. Currently, diocesan priests criticize religious, while religious do the same to diocesan priests. This stems from a lack of mutual understanding.

There is a specific mission in the diocese—this is the mission of the bishop. Both the diocesan priest and the religious participate in this apostolic mission. This mission in the diocese is unified, and it is the bishop who preserves that unity. This theological principle must be understood by everyone; otherwise, we will act contrary to Christ’s intentions.

Therefore, both clergy and religious must recognize their unique callings and responsibilities and work in unity without criticism or conflict.”