Mar Varkey Vithayathil

Mar Varkey Vithayathil Biography

Mar Varkey Vithayathil was an Indian cardinal who served as the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam Angamaly. He was a religious priest belonging to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and the head of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He was born on 29^th May 1927 in North Parur, Travancore. His parents were Justice Mr. Joseph Vithayathil and Mrs. Thresiamma Manadan.

He belonged to the member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the religious order that was founded by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri in the year 1732. He became a priest on 12^th June 1954. He wrote a thesis on The Origin and Progress of the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy for his doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He taught at Redemptorist in Bangalore for 25 years. He got his Masters’ Degree in Philosophy in Karnataka University in the year 1972.

He served as the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Provinces of India and Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1984. He also served as the President of the India Conference of Religions from 1984 to 1985. He was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Asirvanam Benedictine Monastery in Bangalore by Pope John Paul II in 1990.

On 18^th December 1996, he became the Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam – Angamaly and became the consecrated Bishop on 6^th January 1997. He was appointed as the head of the Syro- Malabar Church and Major Archbishop of Ernakulam – Angamaly on 23^rd December 1999 by Pope John Paul II. He was elected as the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India and was in this position from 19^th February 2008 to 3^rd March 2010.

He was nominated as the member of the Sacred College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II on 21^st January 2001 and on 21^st February 2001 he became Cardinal Priest of S. Bernardo alle Terme. He also participated in the 2005 papal conclave as a cardinal elector to elect Pope Benedict XVI. His sacerdotal golden jubilee was celebrated on 8^th November 2003. He died from sudden massive heart attack on 1^st April 2011 and his funeral was held on 10^th April 2011 at St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, at Ernakulam.

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Updated: August 15, 2011