Joseph Powathil
Mar Joseph Powathil is an Indian Catholic Archbishop representing the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery.
Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil is known for his in-depth knowledge of the ancient patrimony and East Syriac Liturgy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, as well as his strenuous efforts for its reformation and restoration of liturgy in accordance with the directives of Vatican II. He advocates for the true and correct East Syriac Liturgy and rituals once celebrated in the Indian church to be restored. He has struggled for the restoration of Syro-Malabar Church’s East Syriac liturgy, its full legitimate rights and its complete identity as an individual Church. He is also well known in the ecumenical movement and the Church's fellowship with followers of other religions.
Early life
Archbishop Joseph Powathil was born in the quiet hamlet of Kurumbanadom, near Chanaganacherry, Travancore. He was dearly known as Pappachan in his childhood, and was officially known as P. J. Joseph. He went to school at Holy Family LP School and St. Peter’s UP School, and then at St. Berchmans’ High School in Changanacherry. He attended St. Berchmans' College, Changanacherry for a B.A. Economics and Loyola College, Chennai from which he received an M.A. in Economics.Priestly ministry
Joseph did his seminary studies in St. Thomas Seminary Changanacherry and Papal Seminary Pune. He was ordained priest on 3 October 1962. Just after his ordination, Joseph Powathil was appointed lecturer in economics at St. Berchmans’ College, his alma mater.He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Changanacherry on 29 January 1972, despite having little Episcopal experience, and was consecrated by Pope Paul VI on 13 February 1972. On 26 February 1977, a new diocese was created under the name Kanjirappally, splitting the Changanacherry archdiocese. Bishop Powathil was transferred there as the first bishop. He served the new diocese for nine years. He rose to become archbishop and returned to Changanacherry on 16 November 1985, succeeding Mar Antony Padiyara.
As the Archbishop of Changanacherry Mar Powathil pushed for the restoration of East Syriac traditions in the Syro-Malabar Church. He fought vigorously for the complete revival of the Divine Liturgy that was latinised after the Synod of Diamper1599, although it was partially revived after Vatican II. However, these efforts got him several critics even among his fellow bishops, alleging that what he espoused amounted to adoption of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church practices. This was apparent during his race as a candidate in the election of president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India in 1994 and later in the election for the major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church in 2011.
Though most of India's Latin Catholic bishops supported his candidature, he faced strong opposition from a group within his own church. Despite this severe setback, he went on to win the election. As the president of C.B.C.I. Mar Joseph Powathil's worked towards greater understanding between the Church and other religious leaders. In 1996, he began his second term as C.B.C.I. president. Archbishop Powathil was also chairman of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council from 1993 to 1996.
Offices held
He served as President of Catholic Bishops Conference of India , Chairman of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, and Chairman of Education Commission of the CBCI. He is at present a member of the Post Asian Synodal Council in Rome, Italy, Chairman of KCBC Commission for Education, Founder and Chairman of Inter Church Council for Education, Chairman of Inter Religious Fellowship, member of the Pro Oriente Foundation in Vienna, Austria and member of the Scientific Commission of International Publication ‘Oasis’ in Venice, Italy.Education work
His leadership as an educationist started in the early 1970s when he was the auxiliary bishop of Changanacherry. It was then the youth wing of a certain political party came out against the private colleges in Kerala. Following the footsteps of his predecessor, Bishop James Kalacherry, who had challenged the educational policies of Sir C.P. Rama Swamy Iyyer, he defended the educational rights of minority communities and led the agitation for freedom. In Changanacherry, he personally led a large demonstration against the government through the streets.Pursuing a rather liberal approach to education, he joined hands with other Christian Churches to defend the constitutional rights of the minority communities, leading to the enactment of the Kerala Self-financing Professional Colleges Act in 2006.
St. John the Baptist Training College at Nedumkunnam, St. Thomas College of Nursing at Chethipuzha, St. Thomas College of Allied Health Sciences at Chethipuzha and St. Joseph’s College of Communication at Kurisummoodu were founded by him in the Archdiocese of Changanacherry during the last decade.
Other contributions
His special care and concern for the margininalised, especially for mentally challenged children, is manifested in nineteen special schools for the mentally challenged in the Archdiocese itself and four schools for the physically handicapped. The first school for the mentally challenged in the central Travancore region was opened on his initiative in 1972 in Ithithanam near Changanacherry. Now it is the largest residential school with hundred students and twenty-five teaching and non-teaching staff.Social Development was one of his major concerns. He founded the Peerumedu Development Society and the Malanadu Development Society in 1977 while he was the bishop of Kanjirappaly. The Kuttanadu Vikasana Samithy is another project of his. As the Patron of the Changanacherry Social Service Society, he oversaw numerous developmental schemes. Many Scholarship schemes are established for the Dalit Christians in the Archdiocese and the poor and eligible students of the professional courses.
In 1990, Archbishop Powathil founded the prestigious I. C. Chacko award for cultural and literary excellence and it was awarded to Prof. P. C. Devasia, the author of Kristu Bhagavathom in Sanskrit language. The Centre for Indian Christian Archaeological Research is another initiative of the Archbishop. In order to promote reading, Archbishop Powathil established the Department of Book Apostolate which organizes the Changanacherry Pusthaka Mela every year in October.
The Archbishop established the Diocesan Youth Movement called ‘Yuva Deepthi’ in 1972. It eventually turned into the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement. He was the first chairman of the KCBC Youth Commission. He started Apostolate for the senior citizens, apostolate for the emigrants and apostolate for the tourists in the Archdiocese. He led CANA, the Indian Section of the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, at Thuruthy with headquarters in Rome.
He did a great deal to promote formation based on his Syro-Malabar identity, to priests, religious and the laity.
On 22 January 2007, Archbishop Joseph Powathil resigned in conformity with Canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. On the same day, it was announced that Auxiliary Bishop of Changanacherry, Mar Joseph Perumthottam, would succeed Mar Joseph Powathil in the office as the Archbishop of Changanacherry.