Joy in Kerala over canonisations

Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara from southern Kerala state, popular for his spiritual leadership and initiatives for social reforms, has drawn glowing tributes even from Hindu leaders on his canonisation on 23 November at the Vatican, writes Anto Akkara.

Among five others canonised simultaneously was Blessed Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal – a nun belonging to the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) – founded by Chavara.

Despite the Catholic church leadership of Kerala being in Rome for the twin canonisations from the state, Oommen Chandy, Kerala chief minister, led a host of political leaders – including Hindu ministers in his Cabinet – to join more than 100,000 faithful who thronged the shrine of Chavara at Mannanam.

“Father Chavara paved the way for the social transformation and educational progress of our state,” acknowledged Chandy, an Orthodox Christian heading the Government of Kerala.

• A top Indian-born economist questioned the coherence of Pope Francis’ views on global economics, asking whether he has enough policies to bring about change in the lives of the poor, writes Abigail Frymann Rouch. Jesuit-educated Jagdish Bhagwati, 80, professor of economics and law at Columbia University, was speaking at the London School of Economics on “Poverty and the Pope”.

While he praised Francis for focusing on the poor, he said the Argentine viewed poverty through the lens of 1970s Peronism.