Pope Francis on Sunday appointed the Archbishop of Hyderabad, Anthony Poola, as one of the two new cardinals from India. He was the first Dalit Christian in India who won the title and would be a voter for the Pope Election in the future.
Poola is also the first telugu in the history of the Catholic Church which is appointed as a cardinal, the second largest title after the Pope, in the world and the first Dalit to get a position. This is an honor and recognition for the oppressed Christianity, “Bernard’s father, Vikis General Hyderabad, told HT.
Born on November 15, 1951, in the Kurnool District Andhra Pradesh, Bishop Poola joined the minor seminary in Kurnnol and studied at the main seminary of St Peter’s Pontifical in Bengaluru. He served as Chair of the Youth Commission, AP Social Services Community, SC/BC Commission, Secretary General and Treasurer of the Telugu Catholic Bishop.
He was ordained a priest on February 20, 1992, in Kadapa. He was appointed Bishop Kurnnool on February 8, 2008, and was ordained as a bishop on April 19, 2008. He was the Chairperson of the Youth Commission at the Andhra Pradesh Conference Bishop.
On November 19, 2020, he was appointed as the Archbishop of Hyderabad, replacing Thumma Bala. He was installed aas the Archbishop on January 3, 2021. He is now appointed to the cardinal rank.
Bernard said Bishop Poola will now be part of the College of Cardinals, consisting of 229 Cardinals, including 131 are voters who voted by the Pope. “He will be one of the Papal voters, who will vote for the Pope on August 27,” he said, added that the entire Catholic community was proud of this promise.
Bishop Poola will also continue to lead the Church of the Church of Hyderabad, including the Diocese of Adilabad, Cuddapah, Khammam, Kurnnool, Nalgonda and Warangal.