Poola mourns Francis, to vote in new Pope's selection
Incidentally, Poola was named a cardinal and Archbishop of Hyderabad by Pope Francis in 2022.
"The passing of Pope Francis marks the end of a profoundly significant chapter in the life of the church," Cardinal Poola said, paying tribute to the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Reflecting on his personal association with the Pope, Poola recalled the "singular honour and immense responsibility" Pope Francis placed upon him by naming him a cardinal — a moment he viewed not as a privilege but as a call to service.
"He was a shepherd after the heart of Jesus — simple, sincere, and tirelessly committed to the poor, the forgotten, and the wounded," Poola said, highlighting how Pope Francis made the church's mission resonate with people living on the peripheries of society. The Archbishop of Hyderabad described Pope Francis as a man who "dared to dream of a church that is poor and for the poor," not merely through words but by embodying values of mercy, dialogue, and openness. He said Pope Francis' vision turned the church into "a field hospital" that listened and healed.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around
Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List
Undo
He also noted how Pope Francis' choice of the name 'Francis' was not symbolic alone, but a clear path — one of simplicity, peace, and care for creation. "He reminded us to build bridges, not walls," Poola added. Even in grief, the cardinal spoke of hope. "His legacy is not written only in documents, but in the hearts of millions he touched — through his humility, authenticity, and unwavering focus on Christ," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
In last 21/7 before 2026 state poll, Mamata taps Bengali anger, pride
Kolkata: Trinamool's 2026 assembly poll strategy is likely to focus on tapping the Bengal-first sentiments of the state's 7.6 crore voters. The party's last Martyrs' Day rally before the 2026 election showcased Bengali migrant labourers "harassed in BJP-governed states and Bengal residents facing NRC queries" as chief minister Mamata Banerjee called for a renewed "Bhasha Andolan (language movement)" from next week. "Hold meetings and rallies every weekend to protest against the attack on your language," she exhorted the Esplanade audience — by all estimates larger than last year's crowd — as she asked Trinamool MPs to make the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Parliament campus the venue of their protest against the "violence against Bengal" and urged sports persons and "people from cultural background" to join in. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Banerjee on Monday modified the immensely successful 2021 "khela hobe" slogan, which revolved around football in the last assembly poll, to include cricketing metaphors. "Bowl them (the BJP) out" and "hit them for a six" combined with references to BJP and its allied organisations' "movements against eating fish and meat" as Banerjee used Bengal's love for sports, its cuisine and its language as a bulwark against BJP's "Hindu-Muslim" narrative. "Why are there attacks on the Bengali language? Bengal fought for freedom, the renaissance began in Bengal. Bengal gave birth to Rabindranath, Bankimchandra and Nazrul. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The National Anthem was written here. We will take the fight to Delhi if Bengalis are arrested in other states. I am not one to back down. Remember Singur-Nandigram?" she asked. "They are vandalising shops and saying: 'Don't eat fish, don't eat meat.' I dare you to try doing it once in Bengal," Banerjee said, asking her audience to "speak more Bengali". "You saw the result of their attack on Vidyasagar's bust?" she asked BJP, referring to the 2019 incident on Bidhan Sarani that had a significant impact on voting in Kolkata. BJP would pay again, she said, accusing it of torturing Matuas in Maharashtra, sending "NRC letters" to Rajbanshis and "breaking a Kali temple in Assam". "You once used to accuse me of not allowing Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. Now, all of a sudden, you have remembered Ma Durga and Ma Kali. Ma Durga is our state and the nation's asset. Durga Puja has been granted the United Nations intangible heritage status. We will have a Durga Aangan in Bengal just like Digha's Jagannath temple," she said, reminding the audience of "the central government circular on camps and detention centres". "Over 1,000 people have been imprisoned in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan. Some are even being sent to Bangladesh," she said, adding that the BJP's comeuppance would come with "people imprisoning its leaders in future". Banerjee then accused the Election Commission of "sitting in Gujarat and disenfranchising Bengalis and removing Bengalis from the voters' list", promising protests in Delhi. "The EC has already removed 40 lakh names in Bihar," she added, before taking on her Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswas Sarma ("who cannot handle his own state properly)", for meddling in Bengal's affairs. She then invited Uttam Kumar Brajabasi to stand beside her on the dais. "Assam has sent an NRC notice to a person residing in Coochbehar for 50-odd years. They must answer for this," she said. Banerjee also targeted PM Narendra Modi, accusing him of being "controlled by America". "Why did you fail to get PoK? Where was your protest when the US sent back planes full of Indians back to India?" she asked before asking the audience to help her achieve "paribartan (change)" at Centre.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tribal outcry forces govt to put tiger corridor GO on hold
Hyderabad: In a U-turn, Telangana govt on Monday put govt order (GO) 49 in abeyance following protests from tribals, opposition parties, and even voices within the Congress. The order, issued on May 30, notified 1,492.88 sq km across Asifabad and Kagaznagar forest divisions as the Kumuram Bheem Conservation Reserve, intended to formalize a crucial tiger corridor linking Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana and Tadoba Andhari reserve in Maharashtra. Amid growing fears of displacement in nearly 339 tribal villages and a complete bandh in the erstwhile Adilabad district on Monday, the state govt was compelled to retract. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The decision was made after a delegation led by panchayat raj minister D Anasuya (Seethakka), Adilabad in charge minister Jupally Krishna Rao, forest minister Konda Surekha, and local MLA Vedma Bhojju met chief minister A Revanth Reddy. "The Congress-led people's govt will always stand by the children of the forest. Adivasis and tribals should not have any concerns over GO 49," Konda Surekha told the media in Warangal. Widespread Resistance and Fear of Eviction The GO sparked backlash from tribal rights groups, including Tudum Debba, whose leader, Godam Ganesh, said the corridor will adversely impact tribal livelihoods and lead to mass displacements. "We fear it will affect 339 tribal villages across Asifabad and Kagaznagar," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo A bandh called by Tudum Debba on Monday, shut down businesses, schools, and public transport across four districts. CPI and CPM functionaries also extended support to the agitation, accusing the govt of attempting to alienate tribal land. The protests were further fuelled by a letter — allegedly from CPI (Maoist) — which called on Seethakka to ensure protection for tribals in the affected areas. Seethakka, who has tribal roots and is an ex-Maoist herself, questioned the letter's authenticity, but said she would not allow any decision that harmed forest-dwelling communities. "The moment concerns were raised about GO 49, I spoke directly with relevant officials. I will never allow any policy to harm tribal livelihoods in the name of forest or wildlife conservation," she said. Ecological Significance of the Corridor The now-suspended Kumram Bheem Conservation Reserve was conceived as a vital ecological link for tiger movement and genetic exchange between major reserves. The area connects Kawal with Tadoba, Tipeshwar, Kanhargaon, Chaprala in Maharashtra, and Indravati in Chhattisgarh. Apart from tigers, it supports leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, wolves, hyenas, and over 240 bird species, including the endangered Malabar pied hornbill and long-billed vulture. According to the GO, the presence of breeding tigers and consistent inter-state dispersal events over the last decade underscore the importance of the region for long-term conservation. The proposed area includes 78 reserved forest blocks across 10 mandals. Conservationists Disappointed at Policy Reversal While tribal communities welcomed the decision, wildlife experts expressed concern over the govt's handling of the matter. "The decision to keep Kumuram Bheem Conservation Reserve in abeyance following tribal protests is unfortunate — not because the concerns of local communities are invalid, but because it reflects a failure of dialogue," Imran Siddiqui, senior field conservationist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies and co-founder of HYTICOS, said. "Conservation should never be imposed, but co-created with the people who have lived in and protected these forests for generations. Rather than abandon protection, we must work harder to build trust and ensure that conservation uplifts both nature and indigenous livelihoods," he said. Efforts by forest officers to allay fears and communicate that no immediate evictions are planned failed to gain traction. The forest department has now been asked to submit a fresh report, and the CM's office has indicated the policy may be revisited after further consultations. A senior forest officer told TOI: "We are hoping the GO will be revived later. We will continue to crack down on encroachments on forest land."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Maratha grp attack: NCP leader given marching orders
Pune: NCP president and deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Monday directed the party's youth wing chief, Suraj Chavan, to resign a day after he and some party workers allegedly assaulted an office-bearer of Maratha outfit Chhava Sanghatana in Latur for flinging playing cards at state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare to protest the videos showing agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate playing rummy in the House. In a post on X, Pawar said the decision was taken to show that the party will not tolerate any action against its ideology. "Against the backdrop of [Sunday's] serious incident in Latur, I have instructed NCP state youth president Suraj Chavan to resign from his post. I strongly protest any form of violence and the use of unparliamentary language. The identity of NCP is based on the democratic values of equality taught by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar. I want to make it clear to all party workers to give priority to democracy, peaceful conduct and non-violence," he said. Chhava Sanghatana's Vijaykumar Ghadge and other members went to meet Tatkare on Sunday to submit a memorandum demanding Kokate's resignation. They raised slogans against Kokate and threw cards at Tatkare. After Tatkare left the venue, Chavan and other party members allegedly attacked Ghadge, who was sitting in another room. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Following outrage from farmers' organisations and the opposition, Chavan tendered an apology. "There were some unconstitutional words used by the protesters, which led to the conflict between NCP and Chhava members. I regret my action and apologise. I will soon meet Ghadge in person to clear the misunderstanding," he said. Soon after the attack, he had defended his and other NCP workers' action as a "natural reaction" to alleged attempts to humiliate party functionaries. He had acknowledged Chhava Sanghatna's right to democratic protest, but suggested that the card-throwing protest was out of line. Chhava Sanghatana members from Latur, Nanded, Dharashiv and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar registered their protests and demanded strict action against Chavan and other NCP members involved in the violence. No case was lodged in connection with the violence.
