Archbishop of Varapuzha reminisces Pope Leo XIV's Kerala visits
While in Kerala, he stood out by opting for a simple lifestyle, empathising much with the poor and the marginalised and by his missionary zeal. Hence, I hope his elevation as the Pope will be as successful as that of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025. The Archdiocese of Varapuzha wishes him heartfelt and prayerful regards, the Archbishop told mediapersons here on Friday. As head of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), also known as the Augustinian Order, he did commendable mission work, including in Latin America, he said.
He narrated how the new Pope visited Augustinian priests in Kerala and also dedicated priests when Daniel Acharuparambil was the Varapuzha Archbishop in 2004, at St. Francis Church in Kaloor. Furthermore, he visited the archdiocesan headquarters in 2006. Churches under the archdiocese will offer special prayers when he assumes charge as the Pope, the Archbishop said.
On peace
On the mounting threats to peace in many countries, he commemorated late Pope Francis as one who strove for global peace. He directly met global leaders and also communicated with them over phone to end violence. Pope Leo too will hopefully do the same. The ongoing India-Pakistan standoff too can be overcome by persistent efforts and through prayers. Weapons are meant for destruction and hence must give way to peace efforts.
To a question on why late Pope Francis did not visit India, the Archbishop said he was very keen to visit India. But it did not work out. He would have come if he had been welcomed officially, I presume, he added.
In the meantime, Fr. Wilson Injarapu, the Vicar Superior of the Vicariate of India within the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), told The Hindu that he had met the new Pope in February at a meeting in Rome. Having visited our 'communities' in India and also having stayed at the Provincial House in Aluva more than once, he spoke of the natural beauty that Kerala has and of the congregations, Fr. Injarapu said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
20 hours ago
- News18
Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the worlds first carbon-neutral state
Rome, Aug 1 (AP) Italy agreed Thursday to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching the European Union's clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros ($114 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site, some 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Rome, is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years, as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukaemia, which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s, at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting. (AP) AMJ AMJ view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 06:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become worlds first carbon-neutral state
Rome, Jul 31 (AP) Italy agreed Thursday to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching European Union clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros (USD 114 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site some 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Rome is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukemia which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting. (AP) GSP view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 23:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
LDF, UDF delegations in Chhattisgarh protest over arrest of Malayali nuns
KOCHI: Amid rising political tension over the arrest of two Catholic nuns hailing from Kerala, delegations of LDF and UDF arrived at Durg in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. While the UDF delegation could meet Sr Vandana and Sr Peethy Mary, the LDF team was asked to return on Wednesday. Angamaly MLA Roji M John, Kollam MP N K Premachandran, Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan, Kottayam MP Francis George and Saji Joseph comprised the UDF delegation. The LDF delegation, led by Brinda Karat and including Rajya Sabha MPs Jose K Mani, A A Rahim, P P Suneer and John Brittas and Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan, is scheduled to meet the nuns between 9am and 10am. Francis told TNIE that they were not allowed to meet the nuns initially. This led the UDF delegation to stage an impromptu dharna in front of the police station. 'The police prevented us from entering the station and told us to come the next day. However, we came to know BJP leaders Anoop Antony and Shone George had been allowed to meet the nuns earlier. They are the reason why we were turned away,' alleged Francis. Following this, the UDF leaders contacted former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel 'He ensured that we meet the nuns. The nuns are doing okay under the current circumstances. We talked to them. Though emotionally traumatised, they have not been harmed physically. But that can't be said about the man who had accompanied the three girls. He suffered physical harm,' said the UDF MP. Meanwhile, the LDF delegation arrived at Durg only in the evening. 'We arrived late and were told that the visiting time was over. We have been asked to come between 9am and 10am on Wednesday. We will be talking to the nuns and also their family members, who have arrived here, to coordinate the next legal steps that need to be taken. A bail application will be moved on Wednesday,' Jose K Mani told TNIE.
