'Life devoted to the upliftment of poor...' PM Modi mourns demise of Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil
A scholar in theology, Mar Powathil was known for his stringent stance in matters related to the Syro-Malabar Church's liturgy and restoration of eastern traditions. His stringent stance on the fee structure of self-financing colleges had once put the state government in a fix.
FollowThe mortal remains of Archbishop Emeritus Mar Joseph Powathil, who passed away on March 18, were laid to rest with full state honours at St Mary's Metropolitan Church (Valiya Palli) at Changanassery on Wednesday. He was 92. Bishop Powathil was the former President of the  Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) from 1994 to 1998 and KCBC. He was the first bishop of Kanjirappally Syro Malabar Eparchy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his grief on passing away of Bishop Powathil. In an official statement, PM Modi said, "It is extremely saddening to learn about the passing away of Archbishop Emeritus Mar Joseph Powathil. My deepest condolences are with you in this hour of grief."
PM Modi continued, "Archbishop Emeritus Mar Joseph Powathil remained devoted throughout his life to the upliftment of the poor and disadvantaged sections of the society. He was also known for his work in the empowerment of farmers and strived for inclusive socio-economic development of the people."
"Archbishop Emeritus Mar Joseph Powathil will continue to live through his ideals and values, which will inspire younger generations to render selfless service to the society and nation," he added.Â
A scholar in theology, Mar Powathil was known for his stringent stance in matters related to the Syro-Malabar Church's liturgy and restoration of eastern traditions. His stringent stance on the fee structure of self-financing colleges had once put the state government in a fix.
While serving as the bishop of Kanjirappaly in 1977, he formed the Peerumedu Development Society (P.D.S.) and the Malanadu Development Society (M. D. S.). He also worked on the Kuttanadu Vikasana Samithy (KVS). He handled many development projects as the Patron of the Changanacherry Social Service Society (CHASS). For the underprivileged and qualified students enrolled in professional courses as well as the Dalit Christians in the Archdiocese, numerous scholarship programmes were established.
In 1972, he founded the "Yuvadeepti" Diocesan Youth Movement. Ultimately, it became the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM). He served as the KCBC Youth Commission's chairperson. In the Archdiocese, he established the Apostolate for Senior Citizens, Apostolate for Emigrants, and Apostolate for Tourists. He was in charge of CANA, the Pope John Paul II Institute for Research on Marriage and Family's Indian Branch, which had its headquarters in Rome.
