austraLasia 1099
Amongst final papal acts: Salesian Archbishop for Madras
drawn from the resources of BIS-Kolkata
ROME: 2nd April 2005 -- In what turned out to be one of Pope John Paul's final acts as supreme pastor of the Universal Church, the appointment was announced on 1st April of Bishop Malayappan Chinnappa as Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore, thus returning a Salesian to the pastoral leadership of an archdiocese which began under the direction of Archbishop Louis Mathias, a French national and a member of the first group of Salesians to come to Northeast India in 1922.
Archbishop Malayappan is 67 years of age and has been bishop of Vellore for the past 11 years. In his capacity as the chairman of the Episcopal Conference of India's Commission for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes [sic], he has made remarkable contributions in the field.
Traditionally, Mylapore, which was included in the Archdiocese of Madras in 1952, is regarded as the original site of Christianity in India, brought by none other than St Thomas, Apostle. The remains of the Apostle are said to be buried in the sepulchre in the Cathedral Basilica at Mylapore.
Archbishop Malayappan fills a vacancy for the See created by the death of former Archbishop Aral Das James in August last year.
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