Cardinal-designate reveals he was informed of appointment only 1 day before announcement

Catholic Culture ^ | October 26, 2012

[NYer]

Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis (Isaac) Thottunkal, the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church since 2007, has revealed that he learned he would be named a cardinal on October 23, only one day before Pope Benedict made his surprise announcement of a November 24 consistory.

“On receiving the letter [from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone] I straight away went to St. Peter’s Basilica, to Peter’s tomb and I knelt down and prayed,” the prelate said. “And then I spent an hour at the tomb of Blessed John Paul II, who in fact appointed me as bishop in 2001, at the age of 42. Then after praying the rosary there I went to St. Mary Major, this is a place that gives me a lot of consolation, strength and confidence where I can pray unnoticed by anyone.”

Recalling the development of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, he said that “in 1930 a group of people joined the Catholic Church under the leadership of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, who is also known as the Newman of the East … Mar Ivanios had just four people with him, just four. After 82 years, now the Church has over 500,000 faithful, in India, North America, England, and Ireland.”

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Card-Designate Basilios Cleemis: Building communion with East and West (Vatican Radio)

• The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (CNEWA)

• Pope Benedict names 6 new cardinals in surprise announcement (CWN, 10/24)

[NYer]

The JPII effect! What a remarkable story ... from 4 members to +500,000 in only 82 years.

[wideminded]

He’ll have to stock up on purple socks.

[Dr. Sivana]

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_V6Z8Ol52whk/Sf6RsiERG9I/AAAAAAAABCU/keGCP_ESNkA/donnyandmarie_thumb3.jpg

He might be able to get a spare pair from Donny Osmond, who was known to wear them. For red socks you need to ask Speed Racer.

[NYer]

Why purple?

[wideminded]

Apparently cardinals wear purple or scarlet socks which they buy at special stores.

[NYer]

Thanks for the clarification. It's 'red' socks to represent the blood of martyrs. What should be very interesting about this new cardinal is the liturgical garb. He is the first Syro-Malankara cardinal and the garments will reflect his eastern rite. The same is true for the Maronite cardinal. Here is retired Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir wearing a red "tabieh" on his head, typical of his eastern rite.

Here is a "kolpak", worn by the Greek Catholic Church prelates.

And all of these various forms go back to the ancient headgear worn by the Jewish rabbis.

Rabbi with Migbaot