austra L asia 1177
New Madras Archbishop speaks candidly of his hopes
ROME: 29th June 2005 -- On the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul today in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI places the pallium of office upon the new Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore (Chennai), Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa SDB. austraLasia spoke briefly with the Archbishop before the ceremony.
After eleven and a half years as Bishop of Vellore, Archbishop Chinnappa comes well-prepared for his new task. He has the 'runs on the board': many new schools for Vellore diocese, reaching out to the poorest of young people, especially through sponsorships offered by US and Irish Catholics; at least 5,000 children are known to have benefitted from this scheme. Archbishop Chinnappa was also able to give impetus to the development of the Church's pastoral outreach through 24 new parishes in the diocese and in fact to bring about a pastoral transformation in his diocese.
When asked of his special aims for the metropolitan archdiocese, Archbishop Chinnappa was unhesitatingly clear - a strong ecumenical approach, as desired by the CBCI or Episcopal Conference of India, inter-religious dialogue, and human rights.
As a Salesian, Archbishop Chinnappa reads Don Bosco's request to his sons to 'improve the rough copy' as a request to carry Don Bosco's concerns for the poor and the marginalised into the 21st Century as India now knows it. The list is endless, but he nominates the iniquitous caste system, the situation of women, child poverty, and victims of the recent Tsunami as amongst those who are most marginalised and the object of his pastoral concern. The last-named challenge has international support still. The first-named is national and does not always win friends. He has given strong support to the CBCI commission on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as the 'problem' is euphemistically termed, training priests to deal with the issue of Dalits and Tribals and speaking out himself in local, national and even international forums.
Reflecting on his experience and the challenges ahead, Archbishop Chinnappa wants to bring to Chennai, as he has to Vellore, a special 'family spirit' amongst clergy and a stronger sense, amongst Religious, of the charisms they are blessed with. He knows he faces a demanding task, but today faces it with the pastoral concern and courage of Sts Peter and Paul.
VOCABULARY
pallium: Latin for 'cloak' and proper to the Pope himself (Benedict XVI made a special note of his own pallium at his inauguration) but given to Archbishops as a sign of their unity with him. Made of wool and looking rather like a stole.
runs on the board: a cricketing term referring to a batsman who has scored many 'runs' already, a 'run' being the distances swiftly covered from one end of the pitch to the other while his opponents are fetching the ball. Something the Aussies hope to do soon at Headingly!
iniquitous: to do with terrible injustice
euphemistically: putting otherwise bad things in a nice way
Dalit: Untouchable, lowest in the caste system.
_______________________
New Madras Archbishop speaks candidly of his hopes
ROME: 29th June 2005 -- On the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul today in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI places the pallium of office upon the new Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore (Chennai), Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa SDB. austraLasia spoke briefly with the Archbishop before the ceremony.
After eleven and a half years as Bishop of Vellore, Archbishop Chinnappa comes well-prepared for his new task. He has the 'runs on the board': many new schools for Vellore diocese, reaching out to the poorest of young people, especially through sponsorships offered by US and Irish Catholics; at least 5,000 children are known to have benefitted from this scheme. Archbishop Chinnappa was also able to give impetus to the development of the Church's pastoral outreach through 24 new parishes in the diocese and in fact to bring about a pastoral transformation in his diocese.
When asked of his special aims for the metropolitan archdiocese, Archbishop Chinnappa was unhesitatingly clear - a strong ecumenical approach, as desired by the CBCI or Episcopal Conference of India, inter-religious dialogue, and human rights.
As a Salesian, Archbishop Chinnappa reads Don Bosco's request to his sons to 'improve the rough copy' as a request to carry Don Bosco's concerns for the poor and the marginalised into the 21st Century as India now knows it. The list is endless, but he nominates the iniquitous caste system, the situation of women, child poverty, and victims of the recent Tsunami as amongst those who are most marginalised and the object of his pastoral concern. The last-named challenge has international support still. The first-named is national and does not always win friends. He has given strong support to the CBCI commission on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as the 'problem' is euphemistically termed, training priests to deal with the issue of Dalits and Tribals and speaking out himself in local, national and even international forums.
Reflecting on his experience and the challenges ahead, Archbishop Chinnappa wants to bring to Chennai, as he has to Vellore, a special 'family spirit' amongst clergy and a stronger sense, amongst Religious, of the charisms they are blessed with. He knows he faces a demanding task, but today faces it with the pastoral concern and courage of Sts Peter and Paul.
VOCABULARY
pallium: Latin for 'cloak' and proper to the Pope himself (Benedict XVI made a special note of his own pallium at his inauguration) but given to Archbishops as a sign of their unity with him. Made of wool and looking rather like a stole.
runs on the board: a cricketing term referring to a batsman who has scored many 'runs' already, a 'run' being the distances swiftly covered from one end of the pitch to the other while his opponents are fetching the ball. Something the Aussies hope to do soon at Headingly!
iniquitous: to do with terrible injustice
euphemistically: putting otherwise bad things in a nice way
Dalit: Untouchable, lowest in the caste system.
_______________________
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