Mar Antony Padiyara (11 February 1921 – 23 March 2000) was a Syro Malabar Major Archbishop and cardinal. He was the First Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He was Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly from 1985 to 1996, having previously served as Bishop of Ootacamund (1955–1970) and Archbishop of Changanassery (1970–1985). He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988.

Mar Antony Padiyara
ܡܸܛܪܵܦܘܿܠܝܼܛܵܐ ܘܬܲܪܐ ܕܟܠ ܗܸܢܕܘܿ
Cardinal, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church
ProvinceMetropolitan province of Ernakulam Angamaly
DioceseErnakulam Angamaly
SeeErnakulam-Angamaly
Installed23 April 1985
Term ended23 March 2000
PredecessorMar Augustine Kandathil as the head of the Syro Malabar Church
Joseph Parecattil as the Archbishop of Ernakulam
SuccessorMar Varkey Vithayathil
Previous post(s)Bishop of Ootacamund (1955–1970)
Archbishop of Changanassery (1970–1985)
Orders
Ordination19 December 1945
Consecration3 July 1955
Created cardinal28 June 1988
RankMajor Archbishop
Personal details
Born(1921-02-11)11 February 1921
Died23 March 2000(2000-03-23) (aged 79)
Kakkanad, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
DenominationSyro-Malabar Catholic Church
Antony Padiyara

Metropolitan Archbishop
Metropolitan Archbishop of Changanassery
ProvinceMetropolitan province of Changanassery
DioceseChanganassery
Appointed14 Jun 1970
Term ended23 Apr 1985
PredecessorMathew Kavukattu
SuccessorJoseph Powathil
Antony Padiyara
Bishop of Ootacamund
ProvinceLatin Metropolitan province of Madras-Mylapore
DioceseOotacamund
Installed3 Jul 1955
Term ended14 Jun 1970
PredecessorPost established
SuccessorPackiam Arokiaswamy
Ordination history of
Antony Padiyara
History
Priestly ordination
Date19 December 1945
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorBishop René-Jean-Baptiste-Germain Feuga
Co-consecratorsFrancis Xavier Muthappa, Matthew Kavukattu
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Antony Padiyara as principal consecrator
Archbishop James Masilamony Arul Das1974
Januarius Paul Palathuruthy1977
Gregory Karotemprel1983
Paul Chittilapilly1988
Archbishop George Valiamattam1989
Vijay Anand Nedumpuram1990
Archbishop Abraham Kattumana1991
Jacob Manathodath1992
Simon Stock Palathara1993

Biography

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Born in Manimala, Travancore, Antony Padiyara studied at St. Peter's Regional Seminary in Bangalore and was ordained to the priesthood on 19 December 1945.[1] He was incardinated into the Latin Rite Diocese of Coimbatore, where he served as curate at Peria Kodiveri and pastor at Kollegal and Ootacamund between 1946 and 1952.[2] He became rector of the minor seminary in 1952 and a professor at St. Peter's Regional Seminary in 1954.[2]

On 3 July 1955, Padiyara was appointed Bishop of Ootacamund by Pope Pius XII.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on the following 16 October from Bishop René-Jean-Baptiste-Germain Feuga, with Bishop Francis Xavier Muthappa and Archbishop Matthew Kavukattu serving as co-consecrators.[1] After attending the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965, Padiyara returned to the Syro-Malabar Rite. On 13 June 1970 he was promoted to Archbishop of Changanassery.[1] He was elected Vice President of the Indian Episcopal Conference (1976), President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (1983), and President of the Syro-Malabar Bishops Conference (1984).[2] In one of the acts of his short-lived papacy, Pope John Paul I named him Apostolic visitor to the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Kerala on 8 September 1978.[2]

Padiyara was appointed Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly by Pope John Paul II on 23 April 1985.[1] He was created cardinal priest of S. Maria "Regina Pacis" a Monte Verde in the consistory of 28 June 1988. When the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly was elevated to the rank of a major archdiocese on 16 December 1992, Padiyara became a Major Archbishop and thus head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.[1] During this period, the powers of Major Archbishop were also vested in the Pontifical Delegate Mar Abraham Kattumana (1992–1995). Within the Roman Curia, he was a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Oriental Canon Law.[3] After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, he resigned as Major Archbishop on 11 November 1996, after eleven years of service. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998.[2]

He later died at the Cardinal Padiyara Nature Cure Centre in Kakkanad, which he himself had founded, aged 79. He is buried in St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Antony Cardinal Padiyara". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Miranda, Salvador. "PADIYARA, Antony". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church.
  3. ^ "About us". Cardinal Padiyara Public School. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Diocese Established
Bishop of Ootacamund
1955–-1970
Succeeded by
Packiam Arokiaswamy
Preceded by Archbishop of Changanassery
1970–-1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by Major Archbishop of Ernakulam
1985–-1996
Succeeded by