Guwahati, March 28: Vatican prayers on Good Friday next month will have the “essence of Indian spirituality, woven into the meditation by the Archbishop of Guwahati, Thomas Menamparampil.
The archbishop has been specially asked by Pope Benedict XVI to prepare the prayers for the Way of the Cross, which will be recited on April 10 at the Roman Colosseum.
“It is the blessings of Jesus. It is also a great honour for me and a great responsibility. I have incorporated the essence of Indian spirituality into the prayers which will be recited by the Pope himself,” the 72-year-old archbishop told The Telegraph here today.
He is the only Indian and second Asian chosen for the service after Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong who prepared the traditional Stations of the Cross last year.
The archbishop, hailed as an apostle of peace, has been untiringly working towards resolving conflicts, which afflict the region. Last year, he worked behind the scenes to end communal violence in Udalguri and Darrang districts in lower Assam.
He was instrumental in setting up the Peace Centre here, an institution for studying the theory and practice of reconciliation, non-violence and peace.
“In my prayers I have tried to be perfectly Christian and also perfectly Indian and Asian. The essence of Indian spirituality is non-violence. Jesus too stood for non-violence,” the archbishop said.
The archbishop received the Pope’s communication in the last part of February and sent his “prayers” to the Vatican around 10 days ago. “I have sent the prayers in English. They will be translated into Italian and other local languages in Rome,” he said.
In the prayers for Way of the Cross, “14 stages” of Jesus Christ are meditated upon.
“During the prayers we meditate over the sufferings of Jesus during the end of his life. Through the prayers we contemplate the sins that we have committed for which the world is suffering. They focus on human values, which we must inherit to create a better and peaceful world,” Menamparampil said.
The archbishop said his choice by Benedict XVI was a sign that “His Holiness regards very highly the identity of Asia, the cradle of civilisation. Moreover, our Holy Father has a prophetic vision for Asia, a continent much cherished by him and his pontificate."
The archbishop, who prefers to remain away from the spotlight, will be in the city for the Good Friday service. “For me, this is my second home. I have worked here for so long and have known the place, the people so closely. Naturally, I will pray for lasting peace in the region along with peace in the entire world.”
Menamparampil was born in Kerala in 1936 and came to the Northeast in 1961 after completing his college education in Darjeeling. He studied theology in Shillong and became a priest in 1965. He became a bishop in Dibrugarh in 1981 and came to Guwahati in 1992. He was appointed as the Archbishop of Guwahati in 1995.
A member of various church organisations throughout Asia, the archbishop’s Peace Centre has been working in troubled spots like Kokrajhar and Haflong in NC Hills district.
(Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090329/jsp/frontpage/story_10740807.jsp)
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| Archbishop Menamparampil |
“It is the blessings of Jesus. It is also a great honour for me and a great responsibility. I have incorporated the essence of Indian spirituality into the prayers which will be recited by the Pope himself,” the 72-year-old archbishop told The Telegraph here today.
He is the only Indian and second Asian chosen for the service after Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong who prepared the traditional Stations of the Cross last year.
The archbishop, hailed as an apostle of peace, has been untiringly working towards resolving conflicts, which afflict the region. Last year, he worked behind the scenes to end communal violence in Udalguri and Darrang districts in lower Assam.
He was instrumental in setting up the Peace Centre here, an institution for studying the theory and practice of reconciliation, non-violence and peace.
“In my prayers I have tried to be perfectly Christian and also perfectly Indian and Asian. The essence of Indian spirituality is non-violence. Jesus too stood for non-violence,” the archbishop said.
The archbishop received the Pope’s communication in the last part of February and sent his “prayers” to the Vatican around 10 days ago. “I have sent the prayers in English. They will be translated into Italian and other local languages in Rome,” he said.
In the prayers for Way of the Cross, “14 stages” of Jesus Christ are meditated upon.
“During the prayers we meditate over the sufferings of Jesus during the end of his life. Through the prayers we contemplate the sins that we have committed for which the world is suffering. They focus on human values, which we must inherit to create a better and peaceful world,” Menamparampil said.
The archbishop said his choice by Benedict XVI was a sign that “His Holiness regards very highly the identity of Asia, the cradle of civilisation. Moreover, our Holy Father has a prophetic vision for Asia, a continent much cherished by him and his pontificate."
The archbishop, who prefers to remain away from the spotlight, will be in the city for the Good Friday service. “For me, this is my second home. I have worked here for so long and have known the place, the people so closely. Naturally, I will pray for lasting peace in the region along with peace in the entire world.”
Menamparampil was born in Kerala in 1936 and came to the Northeast in 1961 after completing his college education in Darjeeling. He studied theology in Shillong and became a priest in 1965. He became a bishop in Dibrugarh in 1981 and came to Guwahati in 1992. He was appointed as the Archbishop of Guwahati in 1995.
A member of various church organisations throughout Asia, the archbishop’s Peace Centre has been working in troubled spots like Kokrajhar and Haflong in NC Hills district.
(Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090329/jsp/frontpage/story_10740807.jsp)