Roman Catholic Cardinal. Manimala born Antony Padiyara entered St. Peter's Regional Seminary in Bangalore and joining the Latin rite through the diocese of Coimbatore, was ordained priest on December 19, 1945. Performing pastoral work in the named diocese, he served as rector of the Minor Diocesan Seminary and successively, faculty member of the mentioned St. Peter's Regional Seminary. At the early age of thirty four, he was elected bishop of the diocese of Ootacamund by Pope Pius XII on July 3, 1955, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following October 16 from Msgr. René Feuga, Ordinary of Mysore. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Changanacherry of the Syro-Malabars on June 14, 1970, returning thus to his native Syro-Malabar rite, he was transferred to the metropolitan see of Ernakulam of the Syro-Malabars on April 23, 1985. Vice-president of the Episcopal Conference of India and of the Syro-Malabars, he served as apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing in Kerala and president of the Syro-Malabar Episcopal Conference. Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest in the consistory of June 28, 1988 with the title of Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Monte Verde. Promoted to Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars on December 16, 1992 when the see was elevated to that rank, he resigned the pastoral government of the major archdiocese on November 11, 1996. Awarded the Padmashree in 1998, the Cardinal died on March 23, 2000 at the Yoga and Nature Cure Centre which he had founded in Kakkanad near Kochin, and lies buried inside St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Manimala born Antony Padiyara entered St. Peter's Regional Seminary in Bangalore and joining the Latin rite through the diocese of Coimbatore, was ordained priest on December 19, 1945. Performing pastoral work in the named diocese, he served as rector of the Minor Diocesan Seminary and successively, faculty member of the mentioned St. Peter's Regional Seminary. At the early age of thirty four, he was elected bishop of the diocese of Ootacamund by Pope Pius XII on July 3, 1955, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following October 16 from Msgr. René Feuga, Ordinary of Mysore. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Changanacherry of the Syro-Malabars on June 14, 1970, returning thus to his native Syro-Malabar rite, he was transferred to the metropolitan see of Ernakulam of the Syro-Malabars on April 23, 1985. Vice-president of the Episcopal Conference of India and of the Syro-Malabars, he served as apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing in Kerala and president of the Syro-Malabar Episcopal Conference. Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest in the consistory of June 28, 1988 with the title of Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Monte Verde. Promoted to Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars on December 16, 1992 when the see was elevated to that rank, he resigned the pastoral government of the major archdiocese on November 11, 1996. Awarded the Padmashree in 1998, the Cardinal died on March 23, 2000 at the Yoga and Nature Cure Centre which he had founded in Kakkanad near Kochin, and lies buried inside St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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